Rotarians Celebrate 100th Anniversary

Herald News
June 12, 2005

Rotary International began 100 years ago and stands today as one of the world's most respected nongovernmental organizations. What Rotary International is and does in our communities and around the world is, nevertheless, not widely known.

The Joliet Rotary Club began in 1913 as the 78th club and the first to be chartered in a city with a population under 75,000. Today more than 1.2 million Rotarians belong to over 31,000 clubs in 167 countries.

The Joliet Rotary Club continues to carry out its motto of "Service above Self" by providing leadership, labor, and funding for an amazing variety of community projects. These community projects began in 1913 with the purchase of uniforms and instruments to start a band program at Joliet Township High School. Joliet Rotarians formed and led the Chamber of Commerce, helped create a beach and swimming area at the Rowell Avenue quarry, procured Higginbotham Woods for city park property and sponsored the first Boy Scout camp in Morris and Girl Scout camp at Custer Park.

During World War II, the hospitality program for traveling servicemen gained national recognition for the city and the club. The Joliet Rotary Club also assisted Habitat for Humanity in building its first home for a needy family in Joliet, along with assisting Morning Star Mission and the Salvation Army.

More recently Rotary has provided funding for the Sports Complex at the Galowich YMCA, as well as a medication endowment and dental equipment for the Will-Grundy Free Medical Clinic. Rotary also has provided financial assistance for handicapped accessible playgrounds for Easter Seals and United Cerebral Palsy.

Through endowed scholarships, Rotary has enabled hundreds of Joliet area students to continue their education at Joliet Junior College, Lewis University and the University of St. Francis.

The Joliet Rotary Club also has a strong spousal support group. The Joliet branch of Women of Rotary currently has over 100 members providing another resource for Joliet. The Women of the Rotary Club of Joliet funds scholarships for deserving women at our three local higher education institutions.

For its international project in 1985 involving The World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and UNICEF, Rotary set out to eradicate polio through a worldwide program of vaccine distribution known as PolioPlus. To date, Rotarians have donated over 600 million dollars and countless hours, vaccinating over two billion children. In 2004, only 1,252 cases of polio were confirmed worldwide, strong evidence that this crippling disease is truly on the verge of eradication.

On June 18, Rotarians from around the world will gather in Chicago to celebrate this 100 year milestone. In fact, 50,000 Rotarians from over 150 nations will gather to celebrate the past and plan for the future. Much like the grandeur of the Olympics, the Rotary International Convention has remarkable opening and closing ceremonies which are absolutely breathtaking. During past conventions, Rotary International has been blessed to have guest speakers which have included Mother Theresa and King Hussein of Jordan. We're certain that this year's speaker will be just as intriguing!

Will our Joliet Rotarians be there? The answer is a resounding YES. The 150 plus members of our club have invited nearly 200 International Rotarians to Joliet, so that they can enjoy dinner in our homes and experience an evening of American hospitality — Joliet style.