Rotary in Norristown

Rotary was originally founded by attorney Paul P. Harris in Chicago, Illinois on February 23,1905. It was called Rotary because the original members "rotated" using each others place of business for a weekly meeting place. By 1925, there were about 200 clubs. Rotary grew quickly and it wasn't long before it was an international organization. Norristown was one of the early clubs in the region and has a rich history of community leaders. 

Rotary of Norristown Club History

The Rotary Club of Norristown was chartered on May 1, 1921 with 24 members, the second oldest club in Montgomery County. Rotary is the oldest service club in the world, Rotary Club members represent a cross-section of the community's owners, executives, managers, political leaders, and professionals - people who make decisions and influence policy.  Today more than 1.2 million people call themselves Rotarians. 33,000 Rotary Clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas share the ideal of Service above Self. The mission of Rotary International, a worldwide association of Rotary clubs, is to provide service to others, promote high ethical standards, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community service.

The sponsoring club for the Norristown club was the Philadelphia Rotary Club who's President Ed Bartlett was presented the charter. The first president of the Norristown Club was Joseph K. Ranck, an industrialist.  In 1924, the Norristown Rotary Club sponsored the Lansdale Club and in the following year the Phoenixville Club.

Membership has stayed at approximately 75 members throughout the club's history.

In the early years, the club met every Thursday at noon at the former Norristown "Valley Forge Hotel' and then "Plymouth Country Club. Currently they meet every Thursday at 12:15 P.M. at the Westover Golf Club in Jeffersonville.

The club's first project, established in 1923 was the Crippled Children's Program. The members contributed funds to help needy crippled children obtain orthopedic care as well as braces and special shoes. Currently the club makes contributions to local non-profit organizations that include Elmwood Park Zoo, the Salvation Army, Laurel House, the Pathway School, the Montgomery County Norristown Public Library, Montco SAAC and the Montgomery County Cultural Center to name a few. In addition, they work with Habitat for Humanity, the Preschool Intervention Program at the Central Montgomery Mental Health/Mental Retardation Center and Head Start Programs. They also provide Thanksgiving dinners to nearly 70 needy families each year; collect perishable foods for the local Food Cupboards and Diapers and Wipes for children being placed in Foster Care.

Over the years the club has raised funds for victims of disasters in Sir Lanka, Haiti, New Orleans and now Japan. They also honor high school seniors from three local high schools with Student Achievement Awards and provide funding for interest free loans so these students can go to college. Over the 27 years, the fund has granted over 772 loans totaling $ 631.750. To celebrate Rotary International 100th year in 2005, the club created a children's learning center to combat illiteracy in the area at the Montgomery County Norristown Public Library. In 2006, the club raised funds to renovate the bathrooms at the Hospitality Center in Norristown for the Homeless.

On the international front, the club continues to support the Rotary Foundation and its projects which include Rotoplast, Eradicating Polio. One of Rotary's highest objectives is to build goodwill and peace throughout the world.