Our History
The Rotary Club of Butte was organized on May 9, 1914 and sponsored for charter by the Rotary Club of Spokane, WA. However, a "disgruntled Butte businessman" claimed that the members of this new organization had bound themselves to the unethical stifling of business competition in the lines of business they represented. The Rotary Club of Butte became the 140th club in the US and was finally chartered on February 1, 1915, with 25 charter members. It was the first Rotary Club in Montana.
The Objects of the Rotary Club of Butte is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service and, to further the advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through the world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the idea of service.
The Rotary Club of Butte has served the community of Butte for 100 years with projects such as: being largely responsible for raising $450,000 to build the original Butte YMCA; establishing the East Ridge Foundation and constructing the Maud S Canyon hiking trail system from the Summit Valley floor, up the East Ridge to intersect with the US Continental Divide Trail System from Canada to Mexico.