About
Johnson City Rotary Club
Service Above Self Since 1916
History of the Rotary Club of Johnson City
Formation
On February 23, 1905, Paul Harris formed the first Rotary Club with three other men in Chicago. These founders recognized the need for an organization designed to serve others. Business and professional leaders were attracted to the Rotary ideals and clubs grew across the world. On October 1,1916, seventeen Johnson City leaders met with District Governor Jim Allen at the Hotel Windsor to plan a local Rotary organization. The Rotary Club of Nashville agreed to sponsor the mew club. Initial officers were: Bert Pouder, president, J. W. Ring, vice-president, Munsey Slack, secretary, and W. F. Green, treasurer.
Our club obtained its Charter from the International Association of Rotary Clubs on June 1, 1917, and became The Rotary Club of Johnson City, Tennessee, Club No. 298.
Our club continued Rotary's growth, sponsoring new clubs in Greeneville, Kingsport, and Elizabethton prior to 1926. Later, we sponsored the Johnson City Evening Club (1969), the Tri-City Area Club (1989) and the Unicoi County Club(co-sponsored 1996) and the Johnspn City Morning Club.
Our meetings were first held in the Windsor Hotel. Meetings were later held at First Methodist Church, Munsey Memorial Methodist Church, Mayne Williams Library, Avalon Dining Room, John Sevier Hotel, Holiday Inn and the Johnson City Country Club (since 1988).
Our early community service efforts included the Crippled Children's Hospital and the Children's Home. It is fitting that our club recognized polio as a target of our efforts, as Rotary International has since established a goal of worldwide eradication of polio by 2005, RI's centennial year. It is now quite common to see bumper stickers and tee shirts which say "Good Bye Polio. Thank you Rotary."
1910--1920's
During the 1910--1920's, our club promoted city playgrounds, a probation officer, a truant officer and a night school. We backed the good roads movement, and worked to keep carnivals out of the city. Early records indicate that our club found twenty scarlet women houses, without indication as to what action was taken once they were found!
During World War I, our Club bought Liberty Bonds to aid French War Orphans, helped the Normal School (the local teaching school) and backed the public school system. In 1925 our Club endorsed a proposition that the city employ a full-time health officer and supported the Boys' Work Committee activity.
A hallmark community activity began in 1927 when we committed forty dollars a year to care for Rotary Park. The Student Loan Fund was begun in 1928 and we designated funds for college education to boys and girls within fifteen miles of Johnson City. Money was obtained by donations, gifts from the treasury and subscriptions. One early method of financing projects was to fine each absentee ten cents.
The 1930's...
Were difficult and our membership dropped. The depression took its toll. There was a period of time when our Club often received the promise of money for dues. But even during these times worthwhile Rotary projects continued, including the Salvation Army, Rotary Park and student loans.
During the l940's
Our Club assisted returning veterans, sent clothing for relief efforts in London and sent local students to Boys' State. We supported the Boy Scouts, Boys' Club, Red Cross, Salvation Army and the Crippled Adult Hospital in Memphis. The club promoted the expansion of Memorial Hospital and the completion of the Salvation Army Building. We donated the cost of one weekly luncheon to a Rotary Club in a rebuilding Netherlands city.
During World War II, our Club promoted the sale of war bonds. We increased awareness of servicemen overseas and helped fill the needs of returning veterans. During the war, some members living far from the city found it necessary to resign because of gas rationing.
In the 1950's...
We developed Rotary Park into a multi-use facility. Large shelters were constructed honoring prominent members of the Rotary Club, including Robert London, Lou Gump, Allen Harris, F. L. Wallace, Raymond Long, and District Governor Bill Norton.
Additional playground and park equipment increased park use. Rotary Park was officially dedicated on August 5, 1956, thirty years after its founding.
The 1960's...
Saw our club supporting Science Hill High School (Band uniforms and Forensic League) Rotary Park Washington College (Rotary Room) the Rotary Foundation Hospital for Crippled Adults Girl's State Boy's State the Student Loan Fund the Salvation Army Christmas Fund Red Shield Boys Club the Old Hickory Camp for Crippled Children the Preaching Mission and others.
1970-1980
In this decade our club increased its support of education through scholarships and Teacher of the Year awards. The Rotary little league baseball team was first sponsored. During the 1990's our club participated in numerous youth exchanges, including a placement into the Soviet Union in 1991.
We annually sponsored delegates to the District Youth Leadership Conference. Through the years we have sponsored three Ambassadorial Scholars for study abroad: Florence Wofford (The University of Grenoble in France) Suzanne Romaine (The University of Edinburgh in Scotland) and Joseph Thompson(University College in Wales).
During the 1990's...
We increased community service in youth education, park enhancements and significant funding in the local Ronald McDonald house. Our club created an Adopt-A-Spot location at the intersection of 1-181 and North Roan Street. This beautiful garden spot continues in the shape and colors of the Rotary Wheel.
In 1992, when the Soviet Union crumbled and the various Russian states were struggling with their independence, our members recognized a critical need for emergency food and medical relief for the citizens of Rybinsk, Russia, a sister city to the entire Tri-Cities area.
Our club, arranged the nation's largest known non-governmental relief effort to the Commonwealth of Independent States. Seventeen 40-foot containers of food and medical supplies were shipped from Johnson City, with local club members supervising the delivery to Rybinsk. That project still holds the distinction of being the largest non government aid project in the world.
Sponsorship
Our club has continued its support of students, as cumulative loans and scholarships have exceeded $150,000. We now award three annual scholarships of $1,500 each to students at East Tennessee State University, Milligan College and Northeast State Community College. Rotary Park has matured into a beautifully wooded getaway, and we continue to ring the bell for the Salvation Army and give blood to the Red Cross annually. In 1998 we sponsored the first local Youth Leadership Conference,hosting 150 local high school students at a full day workshop.
We value the importance of attendance at our meetings, and during the 1990's we celebrated George Oldham's 61 years of perfect attendance. Current member Guy Carr has achieved 57 years perfect attendance. We also value the fun and fellowship of our weekly meetings, and have often poked fun at one another through our history.
We have employed various activities through the years to raise funds. Individual gifts have been prevalent. Johnson City automobile identification tags were sold. Basketball games between Rotary Club players and local teams were played. In 1959 the club promoted The Water Follies as the world's largest indoor water show. It was a complete flop, taking years to pay off the $10,000 fee.
Another method of raising money was the Country Store, which ran from 1959 into the 1980's. The primary fund raiser since the mid-1980's has been The Rotary Wheel, our food concession stand at the Appalachian Fair. In 1997 we established a Local Rotary Foundation to fund community projects.
Throughout our history Christmas funds have been raised for Salvation Army dime boards, now simply Bell Ringing. Year after year, Rotarians have been recognized as the greatest single civic club contributor to the Salvation Army effort.
Key Roles
We have played key roles in District and International events. In December 1935, RI President Ed R. Johnson of Roanoke, Virginia visited Johnson City.
His visit included a reception for the ladies, an elaborate dinner for all area clubs followed by a smoker for the men. Our club has provided the following District Governors: David Shearer, (1939), Devereaux Rice (1947), Carl Jones (1967, our club's 50th anniversary), Bill Norton(1975) and Carroll Richardson (1993).
The District Conference was held in Johnson City in May 1936, April 1946 and February 1953. Our District Conference has been held at the Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia since 1954.
As Rotary International's service projects expanded, our club has actively participated with contributions and service. We have increased from our initial Paul Harris Fellows (Carl Jones & Kathryn Jones, Bill Norton and Harry Hinderer), to 106 Fellows currently, including numerous family members. One of our members anonymously became a Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation contributing $10,000 in total) in 1998.
We currently have 50 Sustainers committing to fund additional Paul Harris Fellowships. We have contributed textbooks and computers, (Africa and Asia), and funded wells designated for clean drinking water (Mexico and Bangladesh). In 1999 we sponsored Group Study Exchange member Mike Scott to Bangladesh, and have hosted teams from Turkey, France, Japan and New Zealand in the 1990's.