Logo of Rotary Club Logo of Rotary Club

History of the Marion Rotary Club

Chartered February 3, 1939, and averaging 75 to 80 members, the Club is the home club of Future District Governor Alex Portelli, and Past District Governors Frank Dean and Dean Kanipe. The Rotary Club of Marion has provided support to the McDowell community through the years as exemplified by a few projects mentioned here:

  • Building the picnic shelter at Lake James State Park
  • Donating 7 acres to Habitat for Humanity
  • Providing major contributions to The McDowell Hospital, the Corpening YMCA, the Hospice of McDowell County, the McDowell Trails Association, the Honor Air Program (sending WWII veterans to see their memorial in Washington)

The Rotary Club of Marion also provides continuing support for several community organizations.

ANNUAL FUNDRAISING AUCTION

The Rotary Club of Marion's Annual Auction, established in, is held on the third Thursday in October. 15% of the club's fundraising through this event is designated for the Marshall Dark Scholarship Fund. The remaining proceeds go toward community and international projects. 

CHILDREN

The Rotary Club of Marion believes children are our future and our focus. The most recent financially supported projects include:

  • Marion Elementary's Robotics Team
  • Wheelchair project of Pleasant Garden's 4th graders
  • 56 children are sponsored for the annual Christmas treat, meal and Santa visit. (This project has been a priority for over 50 years!) 

ROTARIANS

Our members are a cross section of the larger community. Members are involved in all types of community activities and contribute time as well as money to the projects of Rotary, both locally, nationally, and internationally. We meet every Thursday at 12 noon in the Marion Community Building. Visiting Rotarians are always welcome. Ask a Rotarian how you can join the club.


 

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

Rotary was the world's first service club. That first club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed on Feb 23, 1905 by Paul Harris, an attorney who wished to capture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The Rotary name derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among member's offices. Rotary's popularity spread, and within a decade, clubs were chartered from San Francisco to New York to Winnipeg, Canada. By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents. The organization adopted the Rotary International name a year later. By 1925, Rotary had grown to 200 clubs with more than 20,000 members. Read more at www.Rotary.org

View the original Charter here


191 North Main Street
Marion NC 28752

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