The Fargo Rotary Club surveyed the community, and Norman B. Black of Fargo was instrumental in helping the Jamestown men complete their organization and apply for a charter with Rotary International. Early in 1912, a group of Fargo men met with a group from Jamestown. On March 24, 1921, a formal organization was established with twenty-two charter members, and the first officers were elected. The charter, No. 894, was dated April 1, 1921, and a group of Fargo Rotarians went to Jamestown for the charter presentation. The club lost no time extending the influence of Rotary and immediately began organizing a club in Valley City. This was accomplished in May 1921.

One of the club’s early major projects was the building of a lodge on land at Spiritwood Lake donated by Harry C. Flint. Some years later, Mrs. Flint donated additional land, increasing the size to twenty-two acres. The area was called Camp Rokiwan and was operated as a joint venture with the Jamestown Kiwanis Club. Through the years, five cabins have been built, along with a caretaker’s cabin and a log cabin—formerly owned by the Boy Scouts and unused for some years—which mysteriously appeared at the camp. The camp continues to operate due to the generosity of the Don Nierling estate and others, as well as the diligent stewardship of the Camp Rokiwan Trustees. The camp has bunks for approximately 74 people, plus a kitchen, showers, and toilet facilities.

In more recent years, the club has created a fenced, lighted soccer field used jointly by Jamestown High School and the University of Jamestown. The Jamestown Rotary Club has also helped create a replica of an early Jamestown gazebo, with a Peace Pole and iron Rotary bench gracing the grounds around the Stutsman County Memorial Museum. The Rotary Club was a major funding source for the Jamestown Community Bike Fleet, which consists of an enclosed trailer and 30 adjustable hybrid bicycles in youth and adult sizes.