SOME things creep into our lives so quietly that they seem to have been without beginning. From obscure and despised origin have come faiths that have lived to lift the gates of empires from their hinges. Rotary has developed in less than a decade from a theory into the most important, practical business movement of the age.
And more and better - it is respected wherever known. If we could get far enough away to obtain a bird's-eye view of Rotary and take a moving picture of its growth, we would indeed say "wonderful."
If the success of the movement is due to one thing more than to any other, it is perhaps to the fact that Rotarians have always considered business as fit for society as society is fit for business and have always been of the opinion that the world could get along a good deal better without society than without business. I use the word society here in its narrow sense. Rotarians believe that business friends are as warm-hearted as social friends and often much truer; that business will mix with friendship, and that the best way to mix them is by elevating business to the plane of soulful friendship and not by lowering friendship to the plane of soulless business.
RGHF since 11 October 2000
Happy 108th birthday to Rotary!
What Paul Harris Said, is our longest running feature, started in December of 2001. His writings are timeless and speak to Rotary leaders and visitors at www.whatpaulharriswrote.org
The Rotary Club of Louisville, the first Club in Kentucky was formed June 14, 1912 as the 45th club in the world in a district which embraced ten states. With constant membership growth, the district was reduced to four states in 1915 and in 1918 District #13 was established, which was designated for the states of Kentucky and Tennessee.
In 1925, Kentucky was made a district by itself and continued that way until 1937 when Kentucky was divided into two districts as it remains today with Louisville being in District 6710 as it is designated today. The Louisville Club led the way in organizing many clubs throughout the state, as an example, it organized the Lexington Club on June 23, 1915 as well as most of the clubs in the metropolitan area.
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Answer a one question survey: "We must find a handful of Rotarians who will dedicate their lives to 'history,' so that thousands more might dedicate their lives to Rotary." RGHF annual meeting - Montreal. From RGHF.org (this poll will remain open indefinitely)
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