Rotary Club of Bakersfield Downtown
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Meetings are held at the Bakersfield Museum of Art located at 1930 R Street, Bakersfield, California 93301
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Our mailing address is P.O. Box 1628, Bakersfield, CA 93302
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Founded on May 1, 1920
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What would it take to change the world? Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto "Service Above Self."
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Club Office: (661) 325-0696
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Website: http://www.bakersfield-rotary.com
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Our club sponsors the Bakersfield High School Interact Club
The idea for a Rotary Club in Bakersfield was championed by Fresno businessman Hugo Allardt, an official with the Union Ice Company, who visited Bakersfield on a regular basis for business. He believed that Bakersfield would benefit from a Rotary Club, and was successful in attracting 24 of Bakersfield’s most successful business leaders to the idea of forming a Club.
The Rotary Club of Bakersfield was chartered on May 1, 1920 as the 717th Club of Rotary. Up to this time the Directors of Rotary International frowned on the chartering of clubs in cities with less than 50,000 in population – at the time Bakersfield had a population of around 20,000 people. Due to the relentless advocacy of Bakersfield's community leaders, our Club was granted its charter nevertheless.
Vance Anderson was chosen as the first President of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield, with Pete O’Meara as Vice President and Harry Thomas as Secretary. The selection of Vance Anderson as the first President was eminently fitting. He was well known and highly regarded in the community, both for his ability as an attorney and for his ever-high purpose in everything he undertook. He had served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the City Schools, Vice President and Manager of the Kern County Abstract Company, County Chairman of his political party and numerous other community activities. He always counted the organization of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield as his greatest achievement.
The Rotary Club of Bakersfield is proud of its tradition of securing the community’s best and brightest leaders as members. The Rotary Club of Bakersfield is unabashedly proud of our high standards of membership. That high standard helped create the Rotary Club of Bakersfield in 1920 and will serve us well in the future. Welcome to the Rotary Club of Bakersfield!
The Rotary Club of Bakersfield was chartered on May 1, 1920 as the 717th Club of Rotary. Up to this time the Directors of Rotary International frowned on the chartering of clubs in cities with less than 50,000 in population – at the time Bakersfield had a population of around 20,000 people. Due to the relentless advocacy of Bakersfield's community leaders, our Club was granted its charter nevertheless.
Vance Anderson was chosen as the first President of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield, with Pete O’Meara as Vice President and Harry Thomas as Secretary. The selection of Vance Anderson as the first President was eminently fitting. He was well known and highly regarded in the community, both for his ability as an attorney and for his ever-high purpose in everything he undertook. He had served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the City Schools, Vice President and Manager of the Kern County Abstract Company, County Chairman of his political party and numerous other community activities. He always counted the organization of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield as his greatest achievement.
The Rotary Club of Bakersfield is proud of its tradition of securing the community’s best and brightest leaders as members. The Rotary Club of Bakersfield is unabashedly proud of our high standards of membership. That high standard helped create the Rotary Club of Bakersfield in 1920 and will serve us well in the future. Welcome to the Rotary Club of Bakersfield!