Rotary International was founded in 1905 by Paul Harris in Chicago and became the world’s first service club.
Rotary’s first service project was advocating for the installation of public “comfort stations” (public toilets) in Chicago in 1907.
Rotary got its name because early members rotated meetings between their offices.
Rotary’s primary motto is “Service Above Self.”
The secondary motto is “One Profits Most Who Serves Best.”
In 1968, the first Rotary Club banner to orbit the moon was carried by astronaut Frank Borman, a member of the Houston Space Center Rotary Club, during the Apollo 8 mission.
Rotary has five Avenues of Service: Club, Vocational, Community, International, and Youth Service.
Rotary now has over 1.4 million members in more than 200 countries and geographic areas.
Through The Rotary Foundation, Rotary has helped immunize billions of children in the global fight against Polio.
Rotary helped launch the global initiative to eradicate polio in 1988, and cases have dropped by more than 99% worldwide.
The Jamestown Rotary Club was chartered in 1921.
Camp Rokiwan was established in 1923 as a joint project between the Jamestown Rotary Club and the Kiwanis International club in Jamestown.
The Jamestown Rotary Club currently has 39 members.
19 members are male and 20 members are female.
Women were not allowed to join Rotary until 1987, following a landmark decision that opened membership to women worldwide.
The average years of service for a Jamestown Rotarian is 16 years.
The most tenured Jamestown Rotarian has been a member since 1962.
Planning for the 2026 Wine and Brewhaha is underway. If you have items to donate for the silent auction, please contact Annie. Tickets will be available soon.
