Rotary International

Rotary started with the vision of one person — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on 23 February 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Rotary’s name came from the group’s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of its members.

Over time, Rotary’s reach and vision gradually extended to humanitarian service. Members have a long track record of addressing challenges in their communities and around the world. Now, more than 115 years later, Rotary members continue to address challenges around the world. Grassroots at the core, Rotary links 1.4 million members to form an organization of international scope.

From “Rotary,” a publication of the University of Chicago, in 1934:

Paul P. Harris occupies an almost unique position among leaders of men, in that the movement which he initiated in the city of Chicago in 1905 has, within his own life-time, become a world-wide force of impressive scope and power. The seeds of the Rotary idea germinated in the mind of Paul Harris for several years before he took any action looking toward the establishment of an organization.

In looking back on these years, he has declared that “he conceived of a group of business men banded together socially; then he thought there would be an especial advantage in each member's having exclusive representation of this particular trade of profession. The members would be mutually helpful. He resolved to organize such a club.”

Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill

The Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill was chartered in 1995 by a group of community members that wanted to provide Rotary service and fellowship to Philadelphia’s northwest neighborhoods of Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, and Germantown. The club was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Philadelphia and received its official charter from Rotary International on October 1, 1995.

Founding members celebrated “Charter Night” at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on the evening of November 15 that year. The 27 charter members and many guests celebrated that evening with a performance of “America The Beautiful,” an invocation by Maxine Maddox (Dornemann), and an induction ceremony led by current and past District Governors.

Of the many distinguished guests that attended were: District Governor, Bradley Stanton; Past Rotary International Director, Kenneth Erdman; and Past District Governors, Arnold Graf, Arthur Judson, Thomas McCarthy, and Mark McGill. A special greeting from Philadelphia Mayor Rendell’s office was bestowed upon the attendees by longtime City Councilman, W. Thatcher Longstreth.

The vocational backgrounds of the new members were very diverse, including banking, law, hospitality, education, engineering, clergy, accounting, and travel to name a few. Now more than 25 years old, the club has five charter members who still proudly serve along with eight others who joined in the early years of the club. Those eight members include: Elliot Schwartz, 1996; Marie Lachat, 2001; Thomas Lloyd, 2003; Carol Tyler and Susan Bray, 2004; Randolph Williams, 2006; Herbert Henze, 2007; and Timothy Zeigler, 2009.

Charter members

Past Presidents, Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill