History of the Rotary Club of Asbury Park

History Of Asbury Park Club

Through The Years

Our first year, 1919

1920's

1930's

1940's

1950's

1960's

1970's

1980's

1990's

2000's

HOW ROTARY INTERNATIONAL STARTED

The story of Rotary began in Chicago in 1905 with a young lawyer named Paul Harris.  Chicago was a rough developing town in those days. Respectable businessmen often wondered if they could survive in the prevailing climate of greed, shady deals and even corruption.  Paul Harris had been formulating an idea since he moved to the Windy City in 1886.  The idea was of a new kind of club where businessmen would meet periodically to get better acquainted in an atmosphere of comradeship.

On February 23, 1905, Paul Harris met with Hiram Shorey, a merchant tailor, and Silvester Schiele, a coal dealer, at the small office of mining engineer Gus Loehr to develop his idea.  Rotary was born.

Paul Harris and the three men who gathered with him at this first Rotary meeting never dreamed that the ideas set in motion within the drab walls of that Chicago office would some day enlist and challenge the minds of men and women throughout the world.

The compassion of Rotary was firmly established in its early years.  Of these first members, Paul Harris said: "They were friendly and congenial, and each represented a recognized and honorable vocation different from that of the others.  They had been selected without regard to religious, race or political differences." Those two qualities - the premise of agreement of a man as a man instead of as a member of a specific group - became the backbone of Rotary.

Soon other friends and acquaintances had been drawn into the circle of four to form the Rotary Club of Chicago. The first goal of the group was to help the members get new business. To facilitate this, only one representative of each business or profession could be a member of the Club. Meetings were held in rotation at a members' place of business -- hence the name "Rotary".

Although business concerns dominated the formative days of Rotary, it wasn't long before the fledgling group would head into the path of service.  This course was firmly set in motion in 1907 when the new club led a campaign to install public comfort stations in Chicago's City Hall.  This was Rotary's first service project.

It was inevitable that the Rotary ideals of high ethical standards, humanitarianism and universal understanding would spread around the world.  Read about the early Rotary Clubs.

Historical Documents

From Rotary's Archives

1919 Membership Application

Charter Members - page 1

Charter Members - page 2

Charter Members - page 3

Did an Asbury Park Rotarian help Win World War II?

Mike Fornino recalls a story about Amos Kraybill head of the Asbury Park Draft Board during WW2.  He made a difference by getting an out of date Army regulation changed.  Read the letter Mike Fornino sent to the Press.

Would you like to know more about Rotary history?

If you have about an hour, read in Paul Harris' own words the early history of Rotary spreading through out the World.  It's fascinating and it will make you feel proud to be part of this great organization.