A brief history of the Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar
Chartered, September 22, 1978
K. James S. Campbell
In the beginning
Our history club began well before the charter night banquet, September 22, 1978. Meetings of the new Rotarians had been going since March of ’78. Our sponsor, the Rotary Club of Oakville, encouraged by the leaders of the district 709, set in motion a plan to start a second club in town early in 1977. District 709 included clubs in New York State, in and around Buffalo, and across the border in Ontario, along the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. There were almost an equal number of clubs on each side of the border.
Their robust rendition of O Canada often surprised others lunching at Hearthside – should the customers stand, sing along, or simply shake their heads in wonder. |
The first step was to find a member of the Oakville Club to be “Mr. Rotary” to recruit possible members, explain about Rotary and help in organizing meetings. Jimmy Duncan, a past President of the Rotary Club of Oakville, volunteered to be “Mr. Rotary”. No one could have been better equipped. Jimmy was a great Rotarian, a gentleman. He owned a hardware store specializing in the needs of contractors. In his shop, in a prominent place, he posted Rotary’s 4 Way test, his guide in life and business. Three members, Bill Barnes, John Glen and Frank Rice from the Oakville Club planned to move to the new Club.
The group met for lunch in a semi private corner of the Hearthside Restaurant, Dunn and Church Streets, downtown Oakville, at noon on Thursdays. Under Jimmy Duncan’s capable hands, they started to operate as a club, with a president and a board.
Early in 1978, Jimmy reported to the Oakville Club, the new group was meeting regularly, Bill Barnes was the President. They would be ready to be chartered in the fall.
The photo below is of founding President Bill Barnes.
The date was set for the Charter night, September 23rd, 1978; Jim Campbell, President elect of the Oakville Club led the planning committee for the evening. The new club’s name was set, “The Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar”. The Media Room at the new Glen Abby Golf Club was booked; invitations went to all clubs in the district; Charlie Fogel, a past District Governor, a professor at the University of Buffalo, and a Director of Rotary International, agreed to be our speaker. Requests for tickets for the dinner and gifts to the new club flowed in. A week before the dinner, there was a scramble to accommodate fifty percent more people than expected!
We were blessed in 2003, at the club’s 25th Anniversary, to once again have Charlie Fogel return as our speaker. In 2013 all members received a commemorative mug for the 35th Anniversary.  |
It was a great evening. Oakville’s Mayor, Harry Barrett, brought greetings The Charter was presented to Bill Barnes, the President of Oakville Trafalgar; twenty two Charter Members were introduced by Terry Williams, District Governor; and Charlie Fogel’s address pointed out the opportunities in Rotary to make a difference in our communities and in the world. An impressive number of gifts from clubs in the district were presented. It was a night to remember.
Bill Barnes, the new President, said the club’s first priority was to recruit more members.
{See Appendix 1 for the list of charter members and their classifications, and also the first executive}
The picture below is of the initial club in 1978.
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