Club History

BRIEF HISTORY OF ROCKY MOUNT ROTARY CLUB

PART I – 1923 – 1954
Compiled by I. D. Thorp Written by Bugs Barringer

The Rocky Mount Rotary Club had its organiszation meeting in the private dining room of the Bland Cafe on April 26, 1923. The club
was sponsored by the Wilson Rotary Club.

One of our projects for that first year was entering into a
cooperative to try to exterminate the boll weevil, which has just
arrived on the scene in alarming proportions.

In 1927 the club bought a Boy Scout Camp at Medoc Mountain. In 1938 the Rotary Club built a cabin for the Boy Scouts on the eastern bank of Tar river. Shortly thereafter they built a cabin for the Girl Scouts called the “Little House” in Edgemont.

We formed a Student Loan Fund, helping worthy boys and girls in securing an education when otherwise it might have been denied them.

During the Depression circumstances were so critically financially, that for some months we tried having our meetings without meals, bringing a picnic lunch, or going out on picnics during the summer. This did not prove very satisfactory since one of the best ways to get a Rotarian to attend meetings is to feed them.

We entered into the program of beautifying the City Lake; which was once only a swamp on the western edge of our City.

During the Depression many young children in our city schools who were not properly fed breakfast and were doing well in school.
Rotary created the “Milk Fund” to furnish free milk and other items
of small food to hundreds of children.

The Enfield Club and the Tarboro Club were organized through the efforts of the Rocky Mount Rotary Club.

During World II, Jimmy Grantham, one of our Rotarians, was killed in action in the European campaign. An Educational Trust Fund for his daughter, Miss Joan Grantham, was established.

Rotary – provided financial support for the Exchange Student program that brings foreign students to this country to study and sends American students abroad.

PART II 1954 – 1977 Compiled by
Sam Hayworth Written by Bob Shields

The club purchased an electric cart for Jim Ezzell, a local
handicapped young man, to help him go to college. Jim is now an
outstanding lawyer in our community and in 1977 was elected a Representative in the North Carolina State Legislature

In the mid ’5O’s the Club began the practice of inviting each week two student guests a boy and a girl, from Rocky Mount Senior High School to attend the weekly meetings. A Rotary Scholarship to be given annually to a deserving Rocky Mount High School Senior was started in 1956.

During the Rocky Mount Centennial celebration in 1967 many of our
members participated in the events that occurred during the
week-long happening. The club prepared a float for the parade and paid for considerable advertising for some of the events. Our club agreed to sell hot dogs, drinks, and candy apples on the street
during the parade. The plan was that these items would be good
lunch-time favorites. As it turned out, the parade was over long
before lunch time, and Rotarians were hawking their wares for any
price they could get. It is rumored that there was a good supply of hot dogs in some Rotarians’ freezers five years later.

The Christmas Auction has proved to be a good way to raise funds for worthy causes and projects. The first auction in 1954.

The Rotary International Group Study Exchange Program has been supported by our club. In 1970 we hosted six Australians for several days. Again in 1973 another exchange group came from Northern England and spent several days here.

Rotarian Ernest Beal, a former president, was honored on his 80th birthday in 1974 with a special program in which many of his friends expressed their admiration and respect for him.

In 2013 we celebrated the 100th birthday of Rotarian George Hooks who has been a Rotarian for 69 years and counting.

The Rotary Foundation – Club
Recognition Summary

• 86 Paul Harris Fellows – 1st PHF Paul Peel Mar 84
• 13 Benefactors ($1k in will or Life Insurance)
• 5 Bequest Society ($10K in will or Life Insurance)
• 2 Major Donors ($10K cash contributions)
• Charter Members – 7 of 16 became Club Presidents
• Current Club has 16 past Presidents, 1 Past DG96, and 1 DG-Elect
• 1st Women Member Mary Wells 1987, 1st Women President Mary
• Wells 02-03
• 2nd Women President Brenda Shaw 08-09, and DG-Elect 13-14
• 3rd Women President Krista Ikirt 13-14