History
Lynchburg Rotary Club History
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Roanoke, the Lynchburg Rotary Club was chartered in February 1917. Rotary International was founded in Chicago in 1905. By 1917 the movement had spread across the world, and the Lynchburg Rotary Club became the 280th club. Today there are more than 32,000 clubs worldwide in more than 200 countries.
The Lynchburg Rotary Club demonstrates “Service Above Self,” the motto of Rotary and all Rotarians. In the Club’s first year members contributed funds for a horticulturist to teach and encourage people to plant “victory gardens” in support of World War I. The Club provided a college scholarship to a local woman. This initial outreach effort later grew into the Club’s student loan program. Many Rotarians were active in Liberty Bond drives, and the Club raised $50 for victims of the great Halifax, Nova Scotia ammunition explosion.
In 1923 the Lynchburg Rotary Club became the legal guardians of the Henry children. The Henry children were a family of seven orphans. The Club housed, clothed, feed and educated these children until they became self-sufficient adults. Twenty years and $65,000 later, all of the Henry children enjoyed successful careers, and many graduated from college. Much of the funded used to support the Henry children was collected from Club members during the Depression, actively demonstrating the Club’s motto of “Service Above Self.”
The Lynchburg Rotary Club has supported and participated in many worthwhile civic projects throughout the years, including Boy Scouts, Covington Boys Home, Episcopal Boys’ Home at Covington, Lynchburg Clean Sweep, Miller Home for Girls, Randolph Macon Woman’s College, and the Salvation Army. The Club established a city-wide football league for younger boys, replaced the water system at the YWCA’s Camp Ruthers, provided living expenses for a Korean student at Lynchburg College, and built a Disc Golf Course at Peaks View Park.
Current and recent Club projects include the Bone Marrow Project, Café Bon Ami, Employee/Employer Recognition Award, Friday Cheers, High School Ethics Recognition Awards, Junior Achievement Career Shadow Day, Open World Program, Operation Smoke Detector, Randolph College Host Family Program, Rebuilding Together, Rotary Centennial Skate Park at Amazement Square, Rotary Youth Exchange, Salvation Army and the St. Patrick’s Day Irish Festival.
The Lynchburg Rotary Club is chartered to meet twice a month. In the 1930′s the Club started meeting weekly, but didn’t change the charter. Food and gas shortages during WWII forced the Club to begin meeting twice a month again, and this tradition continues to this day.
The Rotary family grows by existing clubs sponsoring new clubs. Over the years, the Lynchburg Rotary Club has sponsored seven new Rotary clubs: Danville in 1920, Lexington in 1922, Bedford in 1924, Altavista in 1939, Lynchburg Fort Hill Club in 1963, Lynchburg Morning Club in 1987 and the Forest Club in 2002.
Click here to view a list of past presidents of the Lynchburg Rotary Club.
