EXHIBITS
A Century of Service: Logan Rotary at 100: What Are Rotary’s Roots?
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What Are Rotary’s Roots?
Paul Harris, a Chicago lawyer, founded the original Rotary Club in 1905. Even though the term did not exist back then, Rotary began as a networking association for middle-class businessmen in Chicago. The organization became known as Rotary due to the “rotation” of meeting places each week. The club implemented its first service project in 1907 by installing public restrooms in downtown Chicago. Businessmen’s service associations soon became a national phenomenon, and by 1911, every major American city boasted a Rotary Club of its own.[1] However, Rotary’s broad appeal and popularity stems from two institutions deeply ingrained in nineteenth-century American society—women’s service organizations and lodge-style fraternalism.
Women’s Service Clubs
Women formed service groups in the 1800s as a means to improve society through service and to expand their lives beyond the home. [2] Many of these organizations, even here in Utah, pre-date Chicago Rotary by several decades. A few local examples include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) female Relief Society, established in 1867, and the Ladies Aid Society formed by Utah Presbyterian women in 1880.[3] Women-only service organizations allowed middle-class women to champion education and public involvement along with religious and family values.[4] However, by the turn of the century, gender roles began to change. American men embraced a more compassionate role that encouraged them to operate outside of their traditional masculine functions.[5] Service became an appropriate outlet to do just that. So, while Rotary may not be the first service organization in the United States (that distinction belongs to women’s service groups), it can claim the title as the first modern men’s service club because it organized before both the Kiwanis (1915) and Lions (1917) associations.
Fraternal Orders
Other precursors to Rotary were the American fraternal organizations.[6] These groups (such as the Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Red Men, Elks, and the Eagles) provided mutual aid and fellowship for white working and middle-class men in the mid-nineteenth century. Fraternity members wore special clothing, performed secret rituals, and conducted mysterious ceremonies to distract and provide escape from a rapidly industrializing and changing society.[7] However, as capitalist ideals and the American economy continued to grow, individuals soon began joining fraternal orders to make business connections rather than fellowship, much to the chagrin of fraternal leaders.[8] Also in the nineteenth century, fraternities and honor societies became very popular at many American universities. Overall, clubs enjoyed a prominent place in U.S. public life.
The Rise of Rotary
By the start of the twentieth century, many Americans held an aversion to the secrecy and seemingly bizarre rituals of fraternal orders. Fraternities fell out of public favor, and in response, men’s service clubs arose to fill the gap left by the diminished lodges.[9] Organizations such as Rotary presented fellowship, an opportunity to expand business, and a chance to engage in public service, but in a casual environment devoid of intricate ceremonies and solemn oaths. Rotarians instead agreed to implement the “4-Way Test” into their business practices and lifestyles and embraced a nonsectarian and nonpartisan policy for members. Rotary, like the fraternal orders, offered comfort to middle-class businessmen dealing with an economy increasingly dominated by big business. However, rather than sheltering the members from the harsh realities of early twentieth-century capitalism, Rotary gave small businessmen a place to express their concerns and share their ideas with like-minded individuals. As a result, Rotary helped to transform members into engaged citizens of the world.[10]
The 4-Way Test
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
