FREDERICK, Md., July 9, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- July 1, 2020 marked the beginning of Rotary Year 2020-21 and the launch of a year-long celebration of the Rotary Club of Frederick's first century of service to the community. According to President Joanne McCoy, the club has earmarked more than $100,000 to local organizations whose missions align with Rotary International's areas of focus.
"Rotary's motto is 'service above self,'" said McCoy. "So there's no better way to commemorate the Rotary Club of Frederick's 100 years of service to our community than by continuing to support organizations that promote education and literacy, fight disease, encourage maternal and child health, provide clean water, grow our local economy, and protect the environment."
The Rotary Club of Frederick was chartered in in October of 1920 by some of Frederick's most prominent and community-minded businessmen, including Attorney, Judge and Postmaster Guy K. Motter, Citizens Bank President Holmes D. Baker, Col. D. John Markey, Potomac Edison Executive R. Paul Smith, Dr. Ira J. McCurdy, and Frederick Motor Company owner Robert L. Warfield among many others. Its earliest service projects included getting a local "milk safety" ordinance passed, promoting a local athletic field for area youth, and supporting Frederick City Hospital.
At the founders' meetings at Charles Carty's Furniture (now the site of the Civil War Medicine Museum), it was decided that the club's weekly meetings would be held on Wednesdays from 12:30-1:30 PM. One hundred years later, the Rotary Club of Frederick continues to meet on the same day and time. Early meetings were held at the New City Hotel, the Wayside Inn, Francis Scott Key Hotel, and the FSK Holiday Inn. Until COVID-19 restrictions forced the club to adapt a virtual format, the club was meeting at Dutch's Daughter restaurant.
Today, the Rotary Club of Frederick's membership roster has grown to more than 200 men and women. The largest club in its District, Frederick's original Rotary club has spent the last century creating and overseeing hundreds of service projects at home and abroad.
"The celebration we had anticipated for our 100th anniversary is shaping up to look different in some ways than the one we had anticipated prior to the pandemic," said McCoy. "But we look forward to celebrating our roots with a new level of service to the Frederick community."
ABOUT THE ROTARY CLUB OF FREDERICK
The Rotary Club of Frederick is one of 35,000 clubs around the world whose 1.2 million members work together to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
SOURCE Rotary Club of Frederick
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