History of our Club
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The Doylestown Rotary was organized on April 28, 1924, with a chartering membership of 20. The original 20 organizing members are now deceased.
The charter presentation took place in Doylestown Armory on May 27, 1924. Lansdale Rotary Club sponsored the then new club. In the early years the club directed its efforts toward youth and youth leadership projects. |
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George Murray's Boy's Brigade and Christmas parties for less fortunate children as well as honoring winning athletic teams of Doylestown High School were some of the original events.
Other activities included raising the funds for the first operation and delivery wing for the Doylestown Emergency Hospital, located at West Oakland Avenue and Pine Street. Two Adirondack cabin shelters were erected at the Boy Scout Camp by Rotary member volunteers.
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During World War II, 500 stockings were filled with gifts and sent to servicemen at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station. Two television sets were sent for the patients at the Valley Forge Hospital. Rotarians participated and contributed to Civilian Defense activities. After the war, Rotary helped raise funds for War Memorial Field.
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In past years, the Rotary Club of Doylestown sponsored concerts, pancake festivals and other events to raise funds for the Doylestown Hospital, and assisted with the development of the local YMCA. Two all-weather tennis courts were built at the Community Athletic Field with Rotary funds. Dogwood trees were planted along the highways leading into Doylestown. Doylestown Rotary ran a chicken barbecue at the Doylestown Hospital Village Fair, from 1968 until 1993, with net proceeds of $76,000 benefiting the Hospital. In addition, a Walk-A-Thon has been a project since 1972 and has raised several hundreds of thousands of dollars in pledges for the March of Dimes. Club members also assisted at the Bucks county Historical Society annual Folk Fest for 25 years. The club also assisted the Delaware Valley College with an annual Horse Show as a fundraiser from 1992 till 2000. In 1988, several club members traveled to Belize to help in the construction of a medical and dental care clinic. In addition, since 1965, the club has hosted dozens of foreign exchange students and sent as many local students abroad as part of a Student Exchange Program.
The Rotary Club of Doylestown continues to host and send abroad exchange students. It also sponsors the Central Bucks East Interact Club, provides college scholarships to graduating seniors at all three Central Bucks High Schools, sponsors a regional weekend leadership camp for six Central Bucks High School students, and supports an annual essay and speech contest for local high school students. In addition to our support and development of local high school students, our club provides community grants ranging each year to nonprofit organizations to further their work in our community.
Today, the club supports two major community events, our Annual Four Way Test Awards Breakfast held the last Wednesday of April each year and the Doylestown at Dusk Car Show held on the downtown streets of Doylestown in July. Other volunteer service includes driving Veterans in the Doylestown Memorial Day Parade and working at the Village Improvement Association Designer House.
In addition to our service at the local level, the Rotary Club of Doylestown continues to provide financial support to Rotary International polio prevention programs, Shelter Box, and has dramatically changed the lives of the Maasai in nine villages in Kenya by raising the funding needed to establish new sources of water. The final well was completed and fully functional in June, 2011.
Throughout the years, the Rotary Club of Doylestown and its members have been leaders in the community and have practiced "Service Above Self".