West Jax Rotary

Getting started:

The officers for this year were those elected for the provisional club. The first year was devoted largely to orientation of the charter members and the selection of the best—qualified professionals and businessmen in the westside for membership.

At the first meeting of the Rotary Club of West Jacksonville as an official club, August 2, members were given glass—covered picture frames of the “Object of Rotary” to hang in their offices and copies of the “Four—Way Test” to study. Three speakers, Dr. Paul Mori, southside club; Gus Johnson, newly elected president of the downtown club; and Kendrick Guernsey, narrated the history of Rotary and explained its goal of service to the community and the four fields of service activity. Bill Hainrick, a past district governor, at a subsequent meeting devoted a full hour covering the same material. On December 5 the club hosted its first annual visit by a current district governor, Joseph Whittlesey. He praised the club for the excellent progress which it was making.

Membership:

By September, some twenty—five members had been added to the club’s roster. Each was thoroughly investigated and his history reviewed by the board of directors before being accepted for membership. On September 11 group pictures were taken of the charter members and the entire membership, now numbering fifty.

Rotary Foundation

One of the first actions taken was to send a check for $250.00 to the Rotary Foundation to make the club a 100% foundation participant. The money came from the $25.00 admission fee of the charter members. It was voted that the practice of taking $10.00 from the admission fee of all future members for the same purpose would be a club policy.

General

The club presented a bell and gavel to the Greater Gainesville Rotary Club on the night of its charter presentation. The club had as guests at its February 28 luncheon six crew members of the British ship H.M.S. Juno. Several members attended the downtown club’s annual charity ball. Bob Graham represented the club at the Rotary International convention held in Mexico City in May. Clayton Riley was appointed to make arrangements for the club’s first Christmas party, which was to become an annual affair.