“The Cross Timbers Rotary Club has been in the minds of a few of us for more than a year, as we talked about how to expand Rotary’s footprint in our district, District 5790,” said Andy Eads, club president at the ceremony. “We knew it was a desire of the leadership of this district to grow, and … we knew we could play a part in that.”
The world’s first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, was formed in 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to recapture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The name “Rotary” derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members’ offices.
Rotary’s popularity spread throughout the United States, and in the decade that followed, clubs were chartered from San Francisco to New York. By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents. The organization adopted the name Rotary International a year later.
As Rotary grew, its mission expanded beyond serving the professional and social interests of club members. Rotarians began pooling their resources and contributing their talents to help serve communities in need. The organization’s dedication to this ideal is best expressed in its principal motto: Service Above Self.
Rotary also later embraced a code of ethics, called The 4-Way Test. The 4-Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943 and has been translated into more than 100 languages.
The message should be known and followed by all Rotarians.
The 4-Way Test of the things we think, say or do:
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?
“We are so grateful for your support as we waded through the arduous process of starting a brand new Rotary club,” Eads said. “We persevered through the hours and hours (and hours) of work through the process.”
District goals
The Rotary’s district goal is to have a 5 percent increase in membership in the 2015-2016 year. That would put the district at roughly 3,150 members. Of the 68 clubs in our district, there are 16 large clubs with more than 50 members. There are 26 medium-size clubs with 25-49 members, and 25 clubs with less than 25 members.
Members were presented with a charter member packet, which included a new badge, a copy of the 4-Way Test, a certificate of charter membership, and a Rotary pin.
The wheel itself became the symbol of Rotary in 1906, a year after the club’s formation in Chicago. Paul Harris reasoned that the wheel symbolized “Civilization and Movement.” In 1910, cogs were added to create a working wheel, symbolizing members working together, literally interlocked with one another to achieve the organization’s objectives.
In 1923 the keyway was added to the hub design of the wheel to symbolize making the wheel “a real worker,” and this updated design was formally adopted as the official Rotary International emblem.
“We’re proud to say that today we charter as the second largest of the eight clubs in Area 11, and the 10th largest Rotary Club in all of District 5790,” Eads said. “This is due to the one-on-one invitations extended to our members, not just by the board, but by every member in this club.”
The group meets Fridays at 8 a.m. with a time for networking starting at 7:45 a.m. Meetings are held at Bridlewood Golf Club.