100 Years Of Rotary In Greeneville

December 19, 2020

Page 2 • Saturday, December 19, 2020

GREENEVILLE ROTARY CLUB’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

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Rotary Clubs Started Small But Grew Fast enjoy fellowship with one another had just created something new: a model So just what is the Rotary for a formalized, officially Club, and who came up structured service club. By with it? And what is the the end of 1905, the club story behind the “rotary” membership in Chicago had part of the name? grown to 30.

The name is what it is Three years later, the because of the meeting concept jumped all the way pattern of the very first Ro- to the West Coast, and San tarians. In February of 1905 Francisco had a Rotary a Chicago lawyer named Club. Other Rotary Clubs Paul Harris met with three soon formed on that far side friends in an office and dis- of nation, then New York cussed the idea of creating City picked up the idea and a club that would hearken took Rotary to the opposite back to the kind of friendcoast as well. liness and helpfulness they Chicago’s Congress Hotel had known in their homehosted history’s first Rotary towns, but which seemed convention in August 1910. harder to find in a large city. Sixteen clubs came together This good idea was carthere and formed the Naried out. With so few mem- tional Association of Rotary bers at the start, it was easy Clubs. Rotary founder Paul to gather in a small locaHarris was elected its first tion, so the men decided to president. meet on a “rotating” basis When Rotary became in their individual offices. international over the next The Rotary name was born. two years, expanding into Others they knew found Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canathe idea interesting, so da, and before long crossing those four original Rotarithe Atlantic with clubs ans soon opened their little forming in England, Ireland circle to new members. and Northern Ireland, Paul And why not, they Harris must have marveled thought, go beyond our to see how his original little original concept of meeting gang of four friends had for fellowship, and add the exploded into something so element of doing practical huge. community good? They Cuba, the Philippines, noticed that each in the Spain, South Africa, Ausgroup had his own set of tralia … all were getting skills and interests, so, they into Rotary. And it just asked, can we not create kept going and spreading avenues and areas of service across borders, until two that match those varying years after Greeneville’s proficiencies? club formed, the National A small cluster of friends Association of Rotary Clubs who originally had wanted was renamed the Internamerely to have a way to tional Association of Rotary

BY CAMERON JUDD ASSISTANT EDITOR

PUBLIC DOMAIN

These four Chicago men were the first Rotarians. The one at far right, Paul Harris, is considered the founder of Rotary. The four began meeting for fellowship, “rotating” the meeting location between their various offices. Before long they added a service aspect to their new club, and Rotary began spreading across the nation, then the globe.

Clubs. Various European clubs had begun forming by that point.

During World War I, Rotary focused on war relief and peace fund drives at home and in emergency efforts abroad. In 1917, Rotary International President Arch Klumph took the first steps toward creating an endowment fund, later The Rotary Foundation.

The Rotary Foundation awarded its first humanitarian grant, $500, in 1930 to the International Society for Crippled Children.

World War II dealt a blow to Rotary activity due to the

absence of members off on military service. Many clubs had to disband during the war.

After World War II, many of those disbanded clubs re-established and initiated new service projects, including relief efforts for refugees and prisoners of war.

With so many Rotarians having seen the devastation of war first-hand across the globe, the organization had an even keener understanding of needs created by the conflict.

Rotary rose to the occasion. In the aftermath of World War II, Rotary

International sent the largest non-governmental organization delegation to the United Nations Charter Conference, held in 1945 in San Francisco. Forty-nine Rotarians served as delegates, advisors and consultants to the conference.

A Rotary-sponsored conference of education ministers and observers held in London in 1943 was the inspiration for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), established in 1946.

The Rotary Foundation enjoyed modest growth

until 1947, when the picture brightened as Rotarians made a significant number of contributions in memory of Paul Harris, who died in January of that year.

That same year the Foundation launched its first program, Graduate Fellowships (today called Ambassadorial Scholarships), sending 18 students abroad to seven countries.

Today, approximately 1,300 students study abroad as Rotary Scholars every year.

Rotary’s most ambitious undertaking, announced in SEE ROTARY ON PAGE 4

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GREENEVILLE ROTARY CLUB’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

Saturday, December 19, 2020 • Page 3

Become A Member Are you an established professional wanting to make positive changes in your community and around the world?

Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for both community service and friendship.

Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group of professionals who share your drive to give back.

• • • •

Discuss your community’s needs and discover creative ways to meet them Expand your leadership and professional skills Catch up with good friends and meet new ones Connect with leaders from all continents, cultures and occupations

Rotary at a Glance: Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.

Rotary connects 1.2 million members from more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work impacts lives at both the local and international levels.

Contact Us:

To learn more about Rotary, please contact any Noon Rotarian, or reach out to us at Facebook.com/GreeneRotary

Greeneville Noon Rotary Club

Page 4 • Saturday, December 19, 2020

GREENEVILLE ROTARY CLUB’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

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Rotary Club Took Root Early In Greene

Along with the famous “Service Above Self” motto cited above, the sentence “He profits most who serves best” also has been associated with Greeneville Rotary since the organization’s inception here. Hood stated in his

historical sketch: “The work Rotarians have done to improve the community is evidence that the motto has been observed throughout the 75 years (now 100 years) of the club’s history.”

It all started off locally

in the basement of Asbury Methodist Church, now Asbury United Methodist Church.

Later, the club begin holding its lunchtime meetings at various places around the community, including Greeneville High

School in its location at that time, as well as in First Presbyterian Church, and a tea room that existed downtown, the Butterfly Tea Room.

Hood wrote, “As membership grew, the meeting place was changed to the much more spacious General Morgan Room of the Hotel Brumley,” now the General Morgan Inn and Conference Center.

Hood noted, “Rotary in Greeneville has been headed by individuals interested not only in Rotary but also in the community.”

That fact about Rotary has not changed in the 25 years since Hood wrote those words. Further, Greeneville Rotarians have joined in the work of Rotarians everywhere in doing good works all around the globe, with strong focus on such important goals with international benefit, such as bringing polio to an end.

George W. Doughty was the first Rotary president in Greeneville, serving in 1920 and 1922. Another

of the organization’s efforts that he most admires.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Rotary’s polio-related efforts have attracted the 1985, is the PolioPlus prosupport of notable figures, gram – a massive campaign including Bill Gates, billionto eradicate polio. Greenaire philanthropist who has eville Noon Rotary President been a public spokesman for Daniel Hawk cites Rotary’s Rotary and PolioPlus. work against polio as one PolioPlus helps support

national and regional polio eradication programs by providing vaccine, surveillance support and social mobilization.

Rotary maintains its core values over time, but also accepts positive changes, including compliance with admission of female

members beginning in 1987.

Since then, women have become an important presence in Rotary.

Women are today the fastest-growing segment of Rotary membership, and increasingly hold leadership positions within the organization. Greeneville Rotary

has had several female presidents since 1988.

Currently, some 1.2 million professional men and women belong to more than 30,000 clubs worldwide.

Today, Rotary International encourages its clubs to focus on a broad spectrum of service activities such as

BY CAMERON JUDD ASSISTANT EDITOR

W

hen the Greeneville Noon Rotary Club came into being in 1920, Rotary clubs in Tennessee had existed only briefly, starting in 1913 with the charter of Tennessee’s first Rotary group, the Rotary Club of Nashville.

Rotary Clubs in Memphis and Chattanooga came along in 1914 and the Knoxville Rotary Club was chartered in 1915. A Rotary Club in Roane County’s Harriman, chartered in 1919, was the fifth Rotary Club chartered in the state and the first outside Tennessee’s major cities.

The late Ken Hood, an active Rotarian and long-time editorial and administrative leader at The Greeneville Sun, wrote a sketch of Greeneville’s Rotary history in connection with the club’s 75th anniversary. Hood wrote that the local club was organized on Oct. 12, 1920.

ROTARY

SUN FILE PHOTO

One of Greeneville’s earliest Rotary presidents, Ralph Phinney, right, was honored for his 100th birthday at the same time Greeneville Noon Rotary celebrated its own 75th anniversary. Presenting Phinney with a cake for the occasion was, at left, James Mack Hughes, Rotary president at the time.

early president, serving in 1925 and 1926, was charter member Ralph McCullough Phinney, whose long life allowed him to still be on hand to help Greeneville Rotary celebrate its 75th anniversary.

During his presidency of the early club, Phinney and other Rotarians sponsored a musical program that raised $700 (at that time a sizable sum) to help back a regional effort to employ a Boy Scouts of America district executive.

Phinney also led a Rotary project presenting a “Rotary ’Round the World’ exhibition of cultural items from 44 nations, showcasing the growth of Rotary in other lands.

Later Rotarians showed their esteem for Phinney by giving him an honorary Rotary membership he held until the end of his life. He was honored by Greeneville Rotarians with a birthday cake two days before his 100th birthday in 1995. Phinney lived until 1998, dying at age 103.

hunger, the environment, violence prevention, illiteracy, drug abuse prevention, polio eradication, youth, the elderly, and AIDS awareness and education.

Rotary clubs around the world remain united under the motto “Service Above Self.”

GREENEVILLE ROTARY CLUB’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

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Saturday, December 19, 2020 • Page 5

Greeneville Club President Proud To Serve Rotary

BY CAMERON JUDD ASSISTANT EDITOR

G

reeneville provided a unique gathering place for Rotarians from East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina when numerous clubs convened jointly in Bernard’s Tobacco Warehouse #2 on South Main Street in 1926.

The warehouse, which no longer exists, was outfitted and decorated for the occasion, becoming on that September evening a makeshift dining hall. A photograph of the unusual gathering has kept the memory of it alive in the annals of Rotary in Tennessee.

The current president of the Greeneville Noon Rotary during 2020 has deep roots in the town that brought all those scattered Rotarians together in 1926. Daniel Hawk, whose family is strongly associated with leadership in Greeneville, the region and the state, said that being chosen to serve the club

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Daniel Hawk, Noon Rotary president

makes him “humbled that they chose me, and proud that Rotary does so much good in the world.”

Hawk’s father, Buddy Hawk, has made his mark in local life and history as a Greeneville alderman.

Daniel’s brother, David Hawk, is well-known as a state representative and rising political figure in Tennessee.

Professionally, Daniel Hawk works in the banking industry as a senior vice president of Consumer Credit Union.

He describes Rotary leadership as challenging, sometimes time-consuming and tiring, but declares his belief in the service organization remains as strong as ever. He expresses a particular pride in Rotary for its leadership in the international battle against polio, a disease that was largely defeated in the developed world years ago, but lingered in less developed areas around the world.

Why, in Hawk’s opinion, should a Greene Countian consider Rotary as his or her avenue for civic involvement? Hawk has made Rotary his own choice for about a dozen years now.

Rotary is a good involvement for a civic-minded person to embrace, he said, simply because Rotary “does a lot of good in the community.” Added to that is the personal benefit of the fellowship Rotary offers. That fellowship aspect is one Hawk emphasizes in advocating for Rotary.

Rotary welcomes men

SUN FILE PHOTO

Rotarians from Greeneville and elsewhere gathered in one of their more unusual events when the Greeneville Rotary Club of 1926 hosted a dinner in a local warehouse that was outfitted for the occasion.

and women, and has had both in the presidential post locally. Female presidents have included Maria Grimm, Wendy Peay, Heather Patchett, Anita Ricker, Carole LaMarca, Sue Ritter, Wendy Warner, Pam Benko, Pauline Adams, Glenda Gray, Luanne Kilday and Gladys Duran.

The first local Rotary president was George W. Doughty, whose term

began in 1920.

When Hawk’s term ends next year, Paul Mauney, publisher of The Greeneville Sun, will step into the position.

Current Noon Rotarians are Amy Armstrong, Brant Fitzpatrick, Brian Broyles, Brian Cutshall, Brandon Farmer, Daniel Hawk, Danny Gaby, Dave Effler, Donna Carter-Odum, George Scott, Lucia Fillers,

John Botts, John Jones, Kenneth Clark Hood, Carole LaMarca, Larry Jenkins, Margo Ward, Michael Reneau, Mike Burns, Paul Mauney, Pauline Adams, Phil Bachman, Roy Mecke, Sharon Susong, Scott Hummel, Steve Harbison, Sue Ritter, T. Brooke Sadler, Tommy Love, Tony LaMarca, Vicki Culbertson, Wendy Peay, and William (Bill) Dabbs.

10 BENEFITS OF BEING A ROTARIAN 1. Fun 2. Friendship 3. Citizenship 4. Service Opportunities 5. Personal Growth

6. Leadership & Ethics Development 7. Business Development 8. Continuing Education 9. Cultural Awareness 10. Family Programs

Rotary

Greeneville Noon Club

Message Courtesy of

Brian Cutshall, Greeneville Noon Rotarian & Board Member

GREENEVILLE ROTARY CLUB’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

Page 6 • Saturday, December 19, 2020

Congratulations on 100 Years.

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We Salute Your Service to Our Community!

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And special recognition to Phil Bachman Jr. for your 53 years of service to Rotary and our community.

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Thank You for Voting Us People’s Choice for 16 Years!

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Pharmacy Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:30 - 6:00 Sat: 9:00 - 3:00 • Sun: 10:00 - 4:00

1004 Snapps Ferry Road • 638-7552 • www.corleyspharmacy.com

Congratulations

on 100 years of service to the community!

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GREENEVILLE ROTARY CLUB’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

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Saturday, December 19, 2020 • Page 7

Greeneville Noon Rotary Club THE FOUR-WAY TEST Of the things we think say or do first...

Is it the TRUTH?

second...

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

third...

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

fourth...

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

The Four-Way Test is used by Rotarians world-wide as a moral code for personal and businesss relationships.

The test can be applied to almost any aspect of life.

Greeneville Noon Rotary Club

Page 8 • Saturday, December 19, 2020

GREENEVILLE ROTARY CLUB’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

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Local Rotary Contributions Have Been Significant

Morning Rotary A Companion To Noon Club A companion Rotary organization to the Greeneville Noon Rotary Club is the Morning Rotary, which during the Covid-19 pandemic meets by Zoom at 7 a.m. Wednesdays.

The previous in-person meeting schedule had involved Wednesday morning meetings at what is now Greeneville East Hospital.

This smaller Rotary group provides an avenue for Rotarian service and fellowship for those who prefer or require a different meeting time than the Noon Rotary offers.

The Morning Rotary Club was formed in 1988 and shares the same community values that characterize all Rotary clubs.

To learn more about the Greeneville Morning Rotary Club, contact Todd Estep at 423-340-0544 or Tisha Harrison 423-329-8634.

The Morning Rotary Club also has a a page on Facebook, as does the Noon Rotary Club.

Just how much does Greeneville Noon Rotary Club do in and for our community?

The answer to that became clear in recent days when Pauline Adams provided fellow Rotarian Brian Cutshall, online director at The Greeneville Sun, the results of her informal study of Rotary coverage in The Sun over about a 10-year period.

Though some of what he found involved routine functionary activities such as officer FILE PHOTO installations, the great majority of the Rotary Greeneville Noon Rotary Club is supportive of local veterans and the community efforts that support them. Above, Rotary coverage – about 50 then-President Wendy Peay in 2017 presents a $500 club donation to Grady Barefield in support of the Veterans Memorial Park in Greeneville. Barefield was and is a leader in the park’s development and other veteran-related activities. or more items – was related to community betterment efforts, from shall found include records of a Imagination Library, Friends of That this has been going on for food collection drives through 2009 food drive and adoption the Library, a century in this community only donations given to any number that same year of an area for Round Robin competitions, amplifies the impact of what of agencies, programs and good cleanup by the club; coverage of scholarships, the Rescue Squad Rotary has done and continues causes. a golf tournament and Rotary and the Rotary’s signature cause to do.

It was enough to make clear Round Robin competition in of polio eradication.

What will be achieved by that, if projects done or support2011, donation of lockers to an The evidence was clear that Rotary over the next decade ed by Rotary in Greeneville and elementary school, scholarship Rotary is a force for community and century remains to be seen, Greene County were magically support, Food Bank and Habdevelopment not only in the but what has been done so far erased from local history, the itat for Humanity support and sense of physical improvements, provides grounds for optimism, community would be quite difschool library backing in 2012 but also in bolstering health, excitement and gratitude toward ferent as it prepares to enter the and 2013. safety, education, moral develall the diligent Rotarians carryyear 2021.

As years rolled by there was opment, fitness, fellowship and ing on the tradition of “Service Some examples of what Cutrepeated Rotary support of the general cultural betterment. before Self.”

Congratulations to The Greeneville Noon Rotary Club Celebrating 100 Years of Community Service Best Wishes, Bill and Pauline Adams

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GREENEVILLE ROTARY CLUB’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

Saturday, December 19, 2020 • Page 9

Rotary Has Attracted Famous Figures Greeneville Rotarians stand in company with many distinguished figures of present and past who are or were in Rotary in their own eras and places.

Famous American Rotarians include John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, all United States presidents.

Neil Armstrong was not only the first man on the moon, but also the first Rotarian there.

Walt Disney was a Rotarian, as are Lance Armstrong and Bill Gates.

International figures who are or were Rotary members include Angela Merkel, German chancellor; Nicolas Sarkozy,

Col. Harlan Sanders

John F. Kennedy

French president; Margaret J.C. Penney Thatcher, the late British The ‘Colonel’ Harland prime minister; Ranier III, Sanders prince of Monaco; Hassan Charles R. Walgreen, Jr. II, king of Morocco and Sam Walton Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan’s Neil Armstrong head of state, and Konrad Frank Borman Adenauer, former German Richard E. Byrd chancellor.

Gordon Cooper Here is a random samSir Edmund Hillary pling of famous Rotarians, Charles Lindberg past and present: Thomas A. Edison Raymond F. Firestone Guglielmo Marconi Dr. Charles H. Mayo Orville Wright

Rotary Fights Polio PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN/ BRIAN CUTSHALL

“If it wasn’t for Rotary, polio would look different today,” says Noon Rotary Club President Daniel Hawk. During the Greeneville club’s June 23 meeting, Hawk briefly discussed PolioPlus, Rotary International global initiative to eradicate the disease, effectively reducing the world’s number of polio “cases by 99.9% since 1988,” reports EndPolio.org.

Winston Churchill

Prince Axel of Denmark Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands HRH Prince Charles HRH Prince Phillip Prince Rainier III of Monaco Tsuneyoshi Takeda, Japanese royal prince Sir Winston Churchill Diane Feinstein Gerald R. Ford J. William Fulbright John F. Kennedy

Sam Walton

Pope Francis

Franklin D. Roosevelt Adlai E. Stevenson Woodrow Wilson Harry A. Blackmun Earl Warren, U.S. Supreme Court Byron R. White U.S. Supreme Court Cecil B. De Mille Walt Disney Norman Vincent Peale James Whitcomb Riley Pope Francis Luciano Pavarotti

Ronald Reagan

Hawk Family Congratulates Greeneville Noon Rotary on 100 Years of Service!

State Rep. David Hawk (left) discusses text of a State of Tennessee resolution honoring the Noon Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary with Daniel Hawk, his brother and the club’s president, at Hardin Park’s Rotary Pavilion.

The resolution reads, “We honor and commend the members, both past and present, of the Rotary Club of Greeneville for their dedication to public service, congratulate them on the club’s 100th anniversary, and extend to them our best wishes for every continued success in all their future endeavors.”

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GREENEVILLE ROTARY CLUB’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

www.greenevillesun.com

Rotary ‘Zooms’ For Christmas 2020

BY BRIAN CUTSHALL In response to COVID-19 social distancing, the Greeneville Noon Rotary Club met weekly via Zoom video conferencing for most of 2020, including the civic club’s annual Christmas party on Dec. 8.

The club suspended meetings March 17-April 21, briefly resumed in-person sessions in June, and returned to Zoom-only gatherings in July until further notice.

“We pray that COVID is soon in the past,” said President Daniel Hawk (bottom row center), “and Noon Rotarians look forward to fellowshipping and meeting in person in the future.”

For the holiday virtual

party, Sue Ritter (top left) coordinated drawings for gifts, with each attendee’s selecting a letter of the alphabet, then matched to a humorous gift or other goodie. Presents included indoor snowballs, a hip exerciser, minion lounge pants and candy.

Ritter said she and fellow Rotarian Wendy Peay would deliver the presents, observing social distancing and wearing masks.

“Our holiday celebration was a blast,” Ritter said.

“Rotary is a great group.”

Several Zoom Rotary attendees donned Christmas attire for the virtual party, including Treasurer Brant Fitzpatrick in a Grinch suit.

“You’ve gotta have fun,” Fitzpatrick said.

ZOOM VIDEO CONFERENCE

The Greeneville Noon Rotary Club celebrates Christmas via video conferencing.

Scholars Earn Reward State Resolution Honors Rotary A distinctive program of Greeneville’s Rotary is the Round Robin event that allows teams from the various high schools to compete in a scholar’s bowl-like event that earns money prizes for their schools. To cap off the Rotary Round Robin competition each year, local high schools are invited to nominate two seniors from their Round Robin teams for the associated Scholarship/Speech Competition. Applicants are scored on their academic and extracurricular activities, then each gives a speech about what winning a Rotary scholarship would mean to him or her. Pictured here are the 2019 winners, Caleb Herbold from North Greene High School and Luke Crum from South Greene High School, being presented their honors from Rotary leaders from that year.

From left are John M. Jones Jr., 2019 president of the Greeneville Noon Rotary Club, Herbold, Crum and Danny Gaby, co-chairman of the Rotary Round Robin.

The state resolution shown here was passed in honor of Greeneville Noon Rotary’s 100th anniversary.

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How Women Found A Place Rotary Life And Leadership

BY CAMERON JUDD ASSISTANT EDITOR An important aspect of 21st century Rotary life here and elsewhere is the involvement of both women and men in the organization.

It wasn’t always so, and the Rotary.org website presents a summary of the history behind the eventual welcoming of women into membership and the positive role women have played in Rotary life ever since.

Rotary began in Chicago as an organization of males, and that exclusivity held true for decades thereafter as the organization grew.

But also growing in the world at large was recogni-

tion of the rights, value and leadership capabilities of women, and not just in the United States.

In fact, according to Rotary.org, it was a Rotary club in India that proposed removal of the word “male” from the Standard Rotary Club Constitution, and a Rotary club in what is now Sri Lanka that proposed an enactment in 1964 that would have allowed admission of women into Rotary clubs. Delegates, however, voted that the proposal be withdrawn, as were two other proposals that would have allowed women to be at least honorary members.

In 1972, American Rotarians faced the issue when clubs began lobbying for female admission into Ro-

tary groups. A U.S. Rotary club proposed admission of women in 1972 in light of the increasing number of female leaders throughout American life.

Efforts to move such changes beyond the proposal stage continued for years.

Rotary.org states that, in 1977, “three separate proposals to admit women into membership (were) submitted to the Council on Legislation for consideration at the 1977 Rotary Convention.”

That same year, a California club admitted women as members in violation of the Rotary International Constitution and Standard Rotary Club Constitution. Rotary.org says that “because of this violation,

the club’s membership in Rotary International (was) terminated in March 1978.

(The club was reinstated in September 1986.)”

Though calls to bring women into Rotary membership continued to grow around the world, a seeming setback occurred in 1983 when the California Superior Court upheld gender-based qualification for membership in California Rotary clubs.

In 1986, however, the California Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s decision, preventing the enforcement of the provision in California. The California Supreme Court refused to hear the case, and it was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

That was the crucial turning point. In May of 1987, the high court ruled that Rotary clubs may not exclude women from membership on the basis of gender.

Kenneth Clark Hood, Greeneville’s Rotary president in 1987, expressed a view on the issue that ultimately would prove to be that of the local club as a whole: “Welcome aboard!” he said when asked about the change.

Rotary issued a policy statement allowing any Rotary club in the United States to admit qualified women into membership.

By 1989, women were being welcomed into Rotary around the world, their numbers building to about

20,000 in the next year.

“My fellow delegates, I would like to remind you that the world of 1989 is very different” than the world of Rotary’s beginning years, future Rotary International President Frank Devlyn said in ‘89.

That Greeneville’s “Rotary door” was fully open to female members became clear in 1989 when Gladys Duran became the local club’s first female president.

Luanne Kilday took on the role in 1993, and since then Glenda Gray, Pauline Adams, Pam Benko, Wendy Warner, Lindy Riley, Sue Ritter, Carole LaMarca, Wendy Peay, Anita Ricker, Heather Patchett and Maria Grimm have followed as female presidents.

The Year Of ’76 Featured A Special Rotary Gathering would still be around when the club itself turned 75.

They would honor him Greeneville Rotarians again at that later time, and recognized as early as 1976 even after that he would live that they enjoyed an unusual on, enjoying honorary Rotary and privileged status in that a membership for life. president of the local club who Sept. 10, 1976 coverage in experienced the earliest days The Greeneville Sun said: “A of local Rotary was still with special cake with the number them.

‘50,’ signifying that it was 50 What they couldn’t know years ago that Phinney served was that this same former Ro- as the club’s top officer, was tary president would go on to presented to him, and he, in live decades longer, his lifespan turn, shared it with club memlasting beyond a century. So bers and guests as part of the they went ahead and honored dessert at the meeting. him on the 50-year anniversa“In responding to the ry of his presidency rather than occasion, Phinney recalled that waiting, not knowing Phinney there were no other civic clubs

BY CAMERON JUDD ASSISTANT EDITOR

in Greeneville, which had a population of around 5,000 people at the time that Rotary was organized here. He also noted that the club performed some of the same functions of the Chamber of Commerce and the Greene County Foundation, neither of which existed here at that time, according to Phinney.”

The story goes on to describe Phinney’s presentation of club achievements, including working to have State Route 70 routed through Greeneville, providing money for the first paid field scout executive for local Boy Scouts, and funding the first school for develop-

mentally disabled children here.

The story went on to mention various other attendees at the special meeting, including the Rev. Elton Jones, president in 1957-1958, who had traveled from Chattanooga to be there, that being the longest distance traveled by those present.

Travis A. Eason was the president of the club in 1976.

Among other past Rotary presidents there that day was Phil Bachman, who many years later would be honored as a 50-year member of the club.

Bachman served as president in 1973-1974.

FILE PHOTO

Phil Bachman, third from left, was among the former Rotary presidents who attended a celebratory club event in 1976, honoring the 50th anniversary of the club presidency of Ralph Phinney, president of the club in 1925-1926. In this photo, Bachman is being honored in July, 2017, for his 50 years as a local Rotarian. From left are Wendy Peay, Rotary president 2017-2018; Rotary District No. 7570 Governor Dick Ray, of Johnson City, Bachman, and club foundation chair Carole LaMarca.

Page 12 • Saturday, December 19, 2020

GREENEVILLE ROTARY CLUB’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY SECTION

www.greenevillesun.com

CONGRATULATIONS To The Noon Rotary Club on Your 100th Anniversary!

The Greeneville Sun is proud to recognize these present and past staff members who serve or have served our community as Rotarians.

Brian Cutshall

John Cash

Michael Reneau

John Jones

Paul Mauney

Ken Hood

(deceased)

Steve Harbison

The Greeneville Sun