A Little History of
The Rotary Club of Banning California

    The Rotary Club of Banning was formed on Friday, May 6, 1955 during a meeting held at the Chi Chi Restaurant in Palm Springs, California.   The official Rotary Charter was presented to President Leon S. Woolington By Walter Hepner, honorary district governor from San Diego, whose address to the club outlined the history and purposes of the organization.  Speaker of the evening was Harry Harper, president of the Riverside club.  Officers of the new club in addition to Woolington were:  James B. Thompson, vice-president; John Rauch, secretary; Lewis J. Robertson, director; Rae O. Delahoyde, director; Jesse E. Jacobson, director; Clarence Morrison, director; and J.R. Cole, sergeant-at-arms.  Notes from the secretary were kept periodically during the next two years and they can be viewed here.  View the program for the night here.  View newspaper clippings from the (Press) Enterprise hereand the Desert Sun here.

    Throughout its history, the Rotary Club of Banning has been a service organization.  Just two examples of its commitment to everyone in the community, Banning Rotary bought safety signs and installed them at all the elementary schools in the city.  We also purchased Life Saving Kits for the Banning Police Department.

    The Rotary Club of Banning participates in many community projects.  You can find members volunteering at various Rotary Projects, such as the Stagecoach Days Spaghetti Dinner & Grandmother of the Year Contest & the Wine tasting and Auction Extravaganza.      Many of the funds we raise are used for scholarships for local Banning youth.

   The Rotary Club of Banning has sponsored an Interact Club at Banning High School. The students pick up trash around town, visit the elderly at local nursing homes, and participate in RYLA and the 4 Way Speech Contest

    Internationally, the Club raises funds to help bring medical assistance to impoverished areas around the world. Rotary International has established Rotary Foundations.

The International Foundation:

• Provides Ambassadorial scholarships

• Gives health, hunger and Humanity grants

• Funds a program to eradicate Polio

• Sponsors group study exchange teams of business and professional non-Rotarians traveling in different countries.

There are countless other grants and programs that the International Foundation supports.

Some History of The Rotary Club

    In Chicago in 1905, Paul Harris and three acquaintances met to organize a small group of men to meet weekly for fellowship.  They rotated the meeting sites and called it a Rotary Club.  It soon became a luncheon-meeting club, with group singing, and the service idea was developed.  A wagon-wheel became the Club symbol.  In 1908, other clubs formed, and in 1910 a National Association of Rotary Clubs was formed, with Paul Harris as president.  A convention was held and a national office was established.

Rotary International's site: http://www.rotary.org

Local Rotary District 5330 site: http://www.rotary5330.net/

Click here to learn more about the first 100 Rotary Clubs.

What is Rotary?

    Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.
    Rotary is some 1.2 million service-minded men and women belonging to more than 29,000 Rotary Clubs in virtually every nation in the world.

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Meeting Place

The Rotary Club of Banning meets each Tuesday at 12:10 pm for a lunch meeting filled with fellowship and interesting and informative programs.

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We meet on Tuesdays at
12:10pm at the Methodist Church .
(235 N. 2nd St., Banning Ca. 92220)
(Click for Map!)

Rotary International Theme