Brief histories of the "First 100" Clubs

Rotary Club of Tacoma 8

Rotary International District 5020

Featured History January 2010

 

In the Fall of 1909, Tacoma Insurance agent Harry L. Pelletier had been invited by his Seattle counterpart, Roy Denny, to attend a meeting of Seattle's newly founded Rotary Four. Pelletier was so impressed by the organization and its goals that he enlisted the support of Denny and others in the Rotary movement to assist in setting up a Tacoma chapter. The first meeting was held at the Tacoma Sheridan Hotel on January 29, 1910, and articles of incorporation were signed on February 2nd. Pelletier was elected the chapter's first President.

The first roster for the Tacoma chapter was published in May of 1910, and listed 70 members. In a revised roster for 1913 membership had climbed to 111. A club newsletter, The Gyroscope, was established that same year. Minutes from the early days show that the club concerned itself with a variety of issues such as building club membership, good roads, good government, the promotion of Tacoma interests, the retention of Tacoma's Baseball team, and other Civic matters. A series of band concerts at Stadium Bowl netted $789.00 toward installing lights in that facility. The club was also active socially, early events included several "Ladies Nights", a two day trip to "Mt. Tacoma" in 1911, and a joint picnic with the Seattle chapter held at Des Moines in July, 1913. Tacoma Eight member Warren Burgess attended the first Rotary National Convention at Chicago in August of 1910, and second President W. Carl Morrow and Secretary William G. Stearns attended the second convention at Portland in 1911.

See the delegates to the first convention of Rotary in 1910, in Chicago when the National Association of Rotary Clubs was formed. Tacoma was a forming club and was there.

See our delegation at Rotary's 2nd convention in Portland, Oregon, USA in 1911. A rare, early Rotary Global History photo.

Washington "100" Apples

Club 4 Seattle

Club 8 Tacoma

Club 21 Spokane

"That Something" a book published in 1924 By RC of Tacoma, by our historian Ziegler

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