Rotary's first day and the years that followed...

February 23, 1905. The airplane had yet to stay aloft more than a few minutes. The first motion picture theater had not yet opened. Norway and Sweden were peacefully terminating their union. On this particular day, a Chicago lawyer, Paul P. Harris, called three friends to a meeting. What he had in mind was a club that would kindle fellowship among members of the business community. It was an idea that grew from his desire to find within the large city the kind of friendly spirit that he knew in the villages where he had grown up
The four businessmen didn't decide then and there to call themselves a Rotary club, but their get-together was, in

fact, the first meeting of the world's first Rotary club. As they continued to meet, adding others to the group, they rotated their meetings among the members' places of business, hence the name. Soon after the club name was agreed upon, one of the new members suggested a wagon wheel design as the club emblem. It was the precursor of the familiar cogwheel emblem now worn by Rotarians around the world. By the end of 1905, the club had 30 members.

The second Rotary club was formed in 1908 half a continent away from Chicago in San Francisco, California. It was a much shorter leap across San Francisco Bay to Oakland, California, where the third club was formed. Others followed in Seattle, Washington, Los Angeles, California, and New York City, New York. Rotary became international in 1910 when a club was formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. By 1921 the organization was represented on every continent, and the name Rotary International was adopted in 1922.

The name Rotary was chosen to reflect the custom, in the early days of the first Rotary Club in Chicago, of rotating the site of club meetings among the members' places of business. This rotation, an integral part of the founder's original concept, was designed to acquaint members with one another's vocations and to promote business, but the club's rapid growth soon made this custom impractical.

In 1960. William C. Carter a Governor Nominee from District 113 (England), and Gilman C. Gunn, Sr., from our district (then 798), met at the International Assembly in Lake Placid, NY for their training to be District Governors. They developed a lasting friendship which they converted to a strong friendship between the two districts.
As a sign of this mutual friendship and as a token of its perpetuation, Bill Carter presented District 7980 with the Governor's Collar which is still worn by our District Governor at official functions.
On behalf of District 7980, Gil Gunn, Sr., presented Bill Carter with a sterling silver Revere bowl with the request that it be known as the

William C. Carter Bowl

and be presented annually to the most outstanding club in his district. When he became President of Rotary International in Britain and Ireland. (RIBI), Bill Carter renamed the trophy The Connecticut Cup. Since 1964, it has been presented annually to the most outstanding District in International and World Community Service. Bill Carter served as President of Rotary International in 1973-74.