History and General Information

Club Address

History and General Information

Membership:

Fifteen charter members founded our club in 1916, only 11 years after the first Rotary Club was organized in Chicago. Led by Dr. Theron S. Langford, members included Rev. Lloyd C. Douglas, pastor of the First Congregational Church, Harlan H. Johnson, editor of the Ann Arbor Times News Company, Charles A. Sink, Secretary of the School of Music, and Shirley W. Smith, Secretary of the University of Michigan. The regular weekly luncheon meetings were held at the Catalpa Inn (corner of Ann Street and Fourth Avenue); the club left the Catalpa Inn when the Michigan Union opened.

Through the years, membership has grown. At year-end 2009 (June 30), our club membership stood at over 310.  We are one of 33,000 Rotary clubs worldwide, and our club is the 49th largest. In Michigan, only the Grand Rapids and Traverse City clubs have more members.

Meetings:
Luncheon meetings are held every Wednesday in the Anderson Room of the Michigan Union. There are no meetings during the week of Art Fair and the weeks of Christmas and New Year's. A buffet luncheon begins at 11:45 am with option to purchase only a beverage; soup, & salad; or the buffet consisting of salads, soup and beverage (milk, iced tea, coffee). At 12:25 pm, the business portion of the meeting starts. "Business" includes an invocation, introduction of guests and visiting Rotarians, songs (think 1920s-1960s), updates from the president and from committees reporting on community programs and projects, occasional jokes and/or "thought for the day." Weekly guest speakers begin no later than 1:00 pm with the program ending at 1:30 pm. Speakers are top notch and there is opportunity provided for Q & A. At various times, members take on meeting assignments such as Host, Invocation, Greeter, and/or assist the Attendance Committee.

Attendance:
Yes, this is taken seriously. Attendance level below 50% is considered unacceptable. Members find themselves temporarily unable to comply with minimum attendance standards may apply for a leave of absence. Make-up attendance at any of the 33,000 Rotary clubs worldwide is encouraged!

Dues:
Club dues of $240 are billed in June ($200 for members over 70), and a $170 Community Services Assessment billed in December of each year. In 1986, our 70th Anniversary, the club established the endowment with $70,000 raised as the initial corpus. As of June 30, 2005, assets and bequests total just over $1,000,000. The purpose of the endowment is to improve the quality of life in the Ann Arbor area by providing funds to community groups and scholarships to deserving students.

Governance & Committees:
Every member is encouraged to become a part of at least one committee. Committees include, but are not limited to: International Service, Community Service, Program, Attendance/Invocation, Music, Community Spotlight, Club Directory, Membership Development, Vocational Service, Rotaract, Special Events, Harpoon, Public Relations, Bowling, Social, and Rotary Tutors. The Club elects four officers (president, vice- president, secretary, treasurer) and three directors annually. The immediate past president also serves on the Board. The vice-president serves as president in the succeeding year

Social Events:
The Annual Spring Fling for members and their spouses/significant others is one of several social occasions. The Social Committee also plans outings to nearby museums, performances and sports events. The Huron High School Choir entertains members and guests at a meeting in the spring, and the December holiday luncheon meeting features the Pioneer High School Choir.  

Rotary motto/slogan: "Service above Self" and "He Profits Most Who Serves Best"

Rotary Four-Way Test: 1) Is it the truth? 2) Is it Fair to all concerned? 3) Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Paul Harris Fellow: An individual who contributes, or in whose honor or memory there is contributed, a gift of $1,000 to the Rotary International Foundation. The designation is named for Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary.

Definition of Rotary: Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

The Four Avenues of Service : These are Rotary’s philosophical cornerstone and the foundation of club activity. They are Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service and International Service.