KIDDERMINSTER ROTARY CLUB: The fact that the founder of the Rotary movement was Paul Harris, is well known to Rotarians, but the details of its origins are often buried in the mists of time. Past President Ken Adderley’s research into how exactly the movement actually started made a fascinating colour slide presentation at a recent meeting of The Rotary Club of Kidderminster.

At first [in 1905], Chicago businessmen of different trades and professions met in their lunch hour purely for business purposes, over a picnic lunch. For the first few years their prime motive was to boost each other’s profits and hence their fortnightly gathering was christened a booster club. There was a reluctance to both expand beyond their immediate circle and to promote and fund projects which would benefit the community.

It was Paul Harris’s persuasive nature and enthusiasm that started the movement’s expansion, to become a National Association in the USA and then an International one. In 1922 the name changed to Rotary International. By then a Club had been established on every continent, including 6 in the British Isles.

To learn about the considerable developments since the 1920’s, members will have to wait until Ken has completed part 2 of this extensive research! In giving a vote of thanks Past President Bill Crook reflected the views of members who were pleased to learn many interesting facts about the origins of their International organisation.