Rotary Club of Plano

The Plano Rotary Club was sponsored by Richardson Rotary Club.

 

On Monday evening May 14th, 1945 a group of business and professional men of Plano met with Roy Smith of Tyler, B.E. Masters of Kilgore (then District Governor of Rotary), Roy Chick and Jess Harben of the Richardson Rotary Club. Mr.Chick was president of Citizens State Bank of Richardson (only bank in town then) and Mr. Harben was the editor and publisher of the Richardson newspaper. Those present from Plano were:

Rev.Bill Morgan Smith (Methodist minister),
Ted Harrington (furniture store and funeral director ),
Fred Myers (hardware store),
Vernon Lusk (T.P & L serviceman),
Bill Whitfield (Service station),
George Jones (life insurance agent),
Vince Duke (Route man gasoline consignee),
Earl Westel (Cleaning & pressing shop),
Jack Harrington (furniture store & funeral director ),
Rex Strange (Sinclair station owner),
Homer Horton (grocery store operator),
John Brodhead (farm implement dealer),
Albert Taylor (coop grocery manager),
Frank Harrington (attorney),
Clifford Harrington (radio sales and service and later TV),
Alex Schell (independent insurance agent and Mayor of Plano then, also father of Alex Schell and grandfather of current member Jamie Schell),
Arthur Bagwill (Publisher and editor Plano Star Courier),
E.A.Sigler (Superintendent Plano Schools),
Joe Griffin (Dodge & Olds dealer) and
Dr. O. T. Mitchell (family M.D.).

These Plano men voted to apply for a charter in Rotary International. As soon as they could obtain a charter, they met each Thursday at noon in the Social Hall at the Methodist Church. The First officers of the club were:

Jack Harrington, President;
Homer Horton, Vice President;
John Brodhead, Secretary and
Fred Myers, Sgt. At Arms.

The first Board of Directors was composed of:

E. J. Baxter,
Alex Schell,
Rex Strange and
Rev. Bill Morgan Smith.

In the late 1940's and 1950's Plano Rotary held an annual Halloween Carnival in the 1000 block of E. Fifteenth St. (old downtown) to entertain the kids and keep them out of mischief. Another annual event for the Plano Rotary Club was the Chili Supper which was always held on a Friday night right before a Wildcat Football game. Well, from that rousing beginning to the present our Club raises and distribute funds each year to local charities, scholarships and non-profit community organizations. We volunteer in our community by investing our time at Samaritan Inn, Food Pantries, and other local charities. 

 

Rotary Clubs and Rotarians throughout the World have a very lofty goal and motto which is "Service above self."  We do our best to live up to that motto.