Happy 75th Essex Rotary!

Photographs, newspaper clippings, newsletters, certificates and other memorabilia record some of the history of the Essex Rotary Club.

By Andy Comber - March 3, 2010

Essex Rotarians gathered Saturday evening to honour their past and present members for 75 years of service to community, at home, across the nation and around the world.

District 6400 Governor Neil McBeth, an Essex Rotarian, said it would be "nearly impossible" to list the achievements made by the local service club and its members over the last 75 years.

"It would take several volumes and several books," said McBeth, speaking to over 70 people gathered at Rizzo's Crossing for the celebration.

McBeth said the Rotary Club of Essex held their Charter Night on Feb. 5, 1935, at a time when the population of Essex was only 1,750 people.

The club's founding members represented a wide range of professions doctors, farmers, clergy, teachers, bankers and more. The first president, George Weller, was a hardware retailer.

One of the first tasks given the club was to support efforts to improve the water supply to the town for the Empire Food Company. But, McBeth said another task that sparked Rotary's involvement was local youth recreation.
"That winter they built the first skating rink and got the kids off the pond," he said.

"Those early years also saw Rotarians involved in tonsil clinics and polio prevention and in helping the children and their families who had been affected by this horrible virus," he said.

McBeth noted Rotary's longstanding support of children's rehabilitation and worldwide efforts to eradicate polio. He said a District 6400 team, including Essex Rotarian Dr. Julie Ricci, had just returned from a polio immunization mission in India.

"In 1988, there were 350,000 new cases of polio in 125 countries, while today only four countries still have endemic polio with less than 2,000 new cases each year," said McBeth.

Essex Rotary has also been involved in countless community programs with positive long-term results.

"In 1937, Rotary donated hybrid seed corn to a number of young farmers," said McBeth. "This program went on to be part of the Essex County Jr. Farmer's programs in Essex County."

The club also sponsored the town's boy's band.

Over the years, Essex Rotary has served many different community organizations, including the Boy Scouts, Salvation Army, Essex Area Food Bank, schools, and the town. Essex Rotary helped charter Harrow Rotary in 1937 and Cottam Rotary in 1940.

"They also sponsored a Junior Rotary Club in Essex a program that is now supported by Rotary through our high school Interact Clubs," said McBeth.

McBeth noted the success of Rotary's group-study exchange program and student exchange program.

"Close to 40 students have come from around the world to Essex," he said.

In 1989, Rotary International voted to allow women to join Rotary, McBeth said.

"Essex Rotary was one of the first clubs in the district to admit women."

Essex Rotary's fundraising efforts and support of community projects were also highlighted. Most recently, the local club has been known for its support of the new arena project and trail work at Sadler's Pond.

From the restoration of the Essex Railway Station to building schools in Africa, McBeth said there are countless reasons to celebrate.

"It has been 75 years of community and international pride," McBeth said. "Essex Rotarians are as committed today as they were in 1935 to making Essex better and a great place to live or visit."

Greetings were extended from all levels of government, municipal, provincial and federal.

"We would not be as well off today without this service club," said Essex Mayor Ron McDermott in conveying the town's thanks. "That's what makes a town."

The dinner celebration concluded with an emotional personal story from local resident Jackie Barraco, a polio survivor. She commended Rotary for its work to rid the world of polio.

"Thanks to Rotary, one day we will be rid of this terrible disease," she said.