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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL A Century of Growth and Expansion
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL A Century of
Growth and Expansion
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Rotary beganin the Midwestern city of Chicago, Illinois, USA,but it soon spread to both coasts and quickly crossed borders and oceans.
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In 1911 through 1913, clubs were formed in Canada, Great Britain,and Ireland.
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Rotary expanded in numbers as well as territory. By 1920, Rotary had 45,000 membersand clubs in 12 countries.
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And the number of languages spoken by Rotarians increased as well, reflecting Rotary’s growing popularity
across Europe and Asia.
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The Rotary Club of Cuba (1916)
was the first Spanish-
speaking club, and the
number of Spanish-speaking
Rotarians rose steadily as
Rotary gained a presence in
South America.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL One man in particular helped spread the Rotary story around
the world.
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Between 1928 and 1931,
“Big Jim” Davidsontraveled 150,000 miles in Europe and Asia, establishing clubs in Greece, Egypt, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other countries. By the time he finished, membership figures topped 150,000.
“Big Jim” Davidson
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The economic depression in the early 1930s caused Rotary to experience its first dip in membership.
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But the numbers began to rise again in 1935,
and by the end of the decade, there were
almost 210,000 Rotarians.
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A second membership decline occurred during the Second World War when Rotary was banned in several countries and clubs were disbanded.
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But the Rotary ideals survived
and thrived in the postwar era
when people were searching
for ways to build international
understanding, and many
countries were readmitted to
membership.
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From the 1950s through the 1970s,
Rotary spread throughout Africa, the Middle East,and the Caribbean region.
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was recognized
as the millionth member.
In 1986,
Jean-Paul Moroval of France
Jean-Paul Moroval and his wife Danielle
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Then world events took Rotary to a part of the world where it had not been welcome for many years.
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Following the
breakup of the
Soviet Union,
clubs were
re-established
in Hungary,
Poland, and
the Czech
Republic.
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The first Rotary clubs
were formed in Russia,
Croatia, Slovakia,
Ukraine, and many
other countries, as the
Rotary movement took
hold throughout this
part of the world.
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Extension throughout Central and Eastern Europe during the 1990s helped Rotary maintain a relatively stable membership at a time when other service clubs were experiencing declines.
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Today, membership tops 1.2 million with clubs in 166 countries,
including the newest Rotary countries of the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan,and Timor-Leste.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL Where will Rotary go
next?
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Whereverclubs can
function freely
as nonpolitical
entities of an
international
organization,
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Rotary will find new opportunities to expand
its humanitarian service
and build bridges of
understanding.
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To learn more about Rotary’s growth and expansion during its first 100 years, order a copy of A Century of Service: The Story of Rotary International.
Click here to order
