
The first Rotary Club was formed when Paul P. Harris, an attorney, called three of his business acquaintances in downtown Chicago together for lunch at the office of Gustave Loehr, a mining engineer and a freemason. The other two attendees were Hiram E. Shorey, a tailor, and Silvester S Schiele, a coal merchant. The members choose the name “Rotary” because they initially decided to rotate subsequent meetings between their respective offices. However, the Club soon began to grow so quickly that they decided to select a permanent meeting place.
The Rotary Club of Denmark initiated the first Rotary youth exchange in 1927 with the Rotary Club of Nice, France following in 1929. The exchanges then usually took place during summer or school vacations and only lasted for a few weeks. Exchanges were abandoned in the mid-1930’s because of economic conditions and the impending unrest which ultimately led to World War II.
The annual family picnic on July 22nd at the OARDC drew over 350 Wooster Rotarians and their family members. The Wooster Rotary Club hosted the annual all-city club meeting at Lowry Center on Thursday evening, September 2nd. The speaker was Perle L. Whitehead, retired regional Boy Scout Executive. Members of Wooster’s eight service clubs packed the ballroom for an excellent program. Over 400 people were in attendance.
Ed Burkhart, Chair of the Wooster Selection Committee, announced at the September 30th meeting that Beverly Kimble, a Senior at the College of Wooster, had been accepted from all applicants from the Rotary 665 District as a Rotary Foundation Scholar to attend school at the University of Durham, England, for the year 1972-1973. Successful candidates were selected on scholarship, personality and potential as goodwill ambassadors. Since the program began in 1947, over 1,700 scholarships have been awarded.
The program on October 7th was a bit unusual in that four Wooster High School students teamed up to tell Wooster Rotarians “…how it really was with todays young people.” The speakers were Mike Buytendyk, senior class president; Bonnie Thompson, a member of student council; Sheri Black, senior class secretary; and Walter Hudson, president of the student council. The topics discussed were class curriculum, involvement by black students in school activities, the dress code and the deteriorating physical plant of Wooster High School and the need for a new High School.
- Hosting trips for International Exchange Students
- Sponsoring students to the World Affairs Institute
- Construction of an Outdoor Education Center at Spangler Park
- Helping with the design and construction of Diller Park
- Helping to develop the Wooster Drug Abuse Council
- Helping to establish the Wooster Art Center (now known as the Wayne Center for the Arts)
- Sponsor of the United Way Run
- Support for Ida Sue School
- Provide trophies for the College of Wooster Mose Hole Classic
- Provide trophies for the Wooster High School Debate Tournament
- Assist Meals on Wheels
- Assist Wooster Head Start
- Annual Senior Citizens Christmas Party
- Provide two heart Monitoring Machines to Wooster Hospital
Salvation Army Christmas Fund $100.00
Residential Support Services $500.00
Civil Air Patrol Search unit $20.00
Buckeye Book Fair $400.00
Apple Creek Developmental Center Christmas Presents $100.00
Great Decisions $400.00
Wooster YMCA $705.00
People to People Capital Drive $2,000.00
4-H Scholarships $750.00
ATI-OSU $250.00