This brief summary touches upon the
highlights of the
past 79 years of the Trenton Rotary Club.
The Beginning. On
January 24th, 1922, William House Sr. was tasked with creating a Rotary Club in
the town of Trenton, Ontario. Four weeks later, on February 23rd, the first
meeting of the new club took place. William House was elected president; and,
with a charter membership of twenty-four, the club was designated as number 1112
on the roll of Rotary International.
Those early years were difficult, since there was no pattern for the club to
follow. However, the direction to take soon became clear. Excerpts from an
historical sketch written in 1942 by Sam MacMaster give us a better idea of
what emerged . . . "the greatest of Rotary's works in the Trenton area is to be
found in the medical and surgical treatment and the care given crippled and
incapacitated children . . . in each case the families were unable financially
to have undertaken the work on behalf of the child." Today, the club's support
of the Easter Seal campaign continues the important work which began so many
years ago.
The Great Depression of the 1930s created many additional demands, to which the
club was still responding when World War 2 broke out. With the advent of
hostilities the club moved part of it's focus toward assisting in the war
effort; and, in particular, in improving the quality of life for the many
Canadian and Allied personnel at nearby Royal Canadian Air Force Station
Trenton. A strong bond was created between the club and the base, which
continues to the present day. The strength of that bond can be seen in the
cooperation on Rotary International projects that has taken place since that
time, and in the number of past and present service personnel who have become
Rotary Club members themselves.
The Post-War Era. During the last fifty years the Rotary Club of Trenton
has been involved on three levels: local, national and international. In
assisting, for example, in the provision of a community centre for Trenton, in
purchasing equipment for playgrounds, helping the Navy League Sea Cadet
movement, in the provision and maintenance of a community policing vehicle for
the Police Department, in setting up minor hockey, improving local parks,
providing bursaries for students, providing funds for both the international
student exchange program and the Rotary International campaign to eradicate
polio, and in fundraising for the refurbishment and possible reconstruction of
the Trenton Memorial Hospital.
The Air Force link was also recently
highlighted again when, to commemorate the club's 75th Anniversary, a donation
of $75,000 was made toward the costs of an additional building at the RCAF
Memorial Museum in Trenton.
On the administrative side, Rotary changed from a male-only movement, and
shortly thereafter, in 1996, one of of our members, Sue White, become the first
female President of the Trenton Rotary Club.
The club is justifiably proud of it's accomplishments since 1922, but what do
the years ahead hold?
District 7070
History
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