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Historical Data / The Story of
Mesa Rotary Club
(I think the following history of the Mesa Rotary
club was written by Charlie Mitten. It has been rewritten, reworked
and reused numerous times. It appears in the small blue binder/roster
in the 75, the light blue club directory in the 84 and in the
programs for most of the history celebrations. - Dilworth Brinton
Jr.)
START OF HISTORY
HISTORICAL DATA - MESA ROTARY CLUB
It's late September of 1920.
Another torrid Mesa summer is just about over and with no coolers.
People who left town in June are flocking back. The Harding-Davis
campaign is getting hotter as the weather gets cooler.
The service clubs are not looking ahead to an active season
- because there are no service clubs. But Dr. Ralph Palmer is
about to correct that.
Dr. Palmer has heard a lot about the Rotary Club movement which
has been going on for 15 years and he is determined to get a
club started in Mesa.
That was the setting for the birth of Mesa Rotary. The Phoenix
Rotary Club, first in Arizona, had been launched six years before
and the Phoenix members were eager to sponsor another club.
Mesa was the most likely site. The town had about 3,700 people
then and was already developing a reputation for civic-mindedness,
energy, and a will to grow.
Still a predominantly Mormon community (about 70 percent). Mesa
was a farming town and the tourists had not yet started to flock
in with the first Eastern snows. The business district was small.
Perhaps the biggest stores in town were the O.S. Stapley Hardware
and Toggery, the best dry goods store.
Dr. Palmer, aided by District Governor Charles Christy and Phoenix
Rotary Club president John Brown, called together Mesans Herman
Hendrix, L.H. Van Spanckeren, John Cummard, George Silverthorn,
Spence Dingle, Frank Gurley, George Johnson, Harry Price, Ed
McDonald, Charles Flynn, Rev. Francis Bloy, J.C. Raymond, Marquis
"Cardinal" Gibbons, Dan Collett, Harvey Bush, Frank Samuels,
William Walter, Paul Beville, W.M. Beach, Will Bowden, Arthur
Viault, and Charles Price and Dave Ross.
For their meeting place they chose the Guild Hall at the Episcopal
Church on West Pepper. Phoenix Rotarians joined the Mesans at
those early meetings. The first six weeks, the programs were
about Rotary and the responsibilities of Rotarians.
Finally the club was banded together solidly enough to apply
for a charter. Dr. Palmer was elected president and Rev. Bloy
was named the first Secretary.
The charter was approved and the Mesa Rotary Club was officially
launched in February 1921. They kept the membership at about
20 for the first year, and then slowly added carefully selected
members one and two at a time until the club reached 30 members
two years later.
From the very first, the Mesa club was an enthusiastic convention
group. To the last man they trekked to Long Beach for the district
convention in 1921 and brought home the club attendance cup.
They won the district attendance prize again in 1922 at the
San Francisco convention, a trip best remembered for the burro
the Mesa Rotarians hauled along with them on the train.
The club grew and prospered steadily until the depression of
the early 1930's. The economic pressures began to be felt and
some of the members found it necessary to drop out of Rotary.
Frank Gurley, a charter member who served as president in 1932-33,
deserves much credit for his efforts in holding the club together
during the worst of the depression.
World War II did not hit the Mesa Rotary Club as hard as some
other service clubs with younger membership. As a result, the
Mesa Rotarians were able to do more toward supporting the various
war drives than any other group. They spearheaded scrap drives,
rubber drives, paper collection drives, blood donor drives,
and purchasing of war bonds.
Since the war, the club has been a powerful force in civic betterment.
Its work with Boys Ranch, Sunshine Acres, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts,
crippled children, and international relations has been outstanding.
Just as important has been the work of individual members on
projects of civic importance. Virtually every Rotarian contributes
a major effort toward the betterment of Mesa government, schools,
recreational facilities, business expansion, city beautification,
and many other fields.
The Mesa Rotary Club met first at the Episcopal Church; went
thru a period of meeting on members lawns; then met for several
years at the El Portal Hotel. For many years the meeting place
was the Mesa Women's Club and moved to the Plantation Restaurant.
When the restaurant closed a few years later the meeting place
was moved to the Mesa Country Club. After many years at the
Mesa Country Club, Mesa Rotary Club grew too large for the facilities
available there, and moved its meetings to Mesa's Centennial
Hall.
Mesa has been host to the District Conference five times, in
1927, 1932, 1951, 1961 and 1980. The Club has contributed six
District Governors: Herman Hendrix in 1932, Horace Griffen in
1945, Jack Leyda in 1951, Dr. Lloyd Kent in 1954, Pete Guerrero
in 1963, and Lynn Sharp in 1980.
The Mesa Rotary Club has, for years, installed its incoming
President with a hi-jinks stag party and at the same time assisted
the out-going prexy into the ranks of the GGOPP (Grand and Glorious
Order of Past Presidents). Over the years the best "brains"
of the GGOPP have devised many outstanding stunts for these
fun parties. An effort is made to plan the ceremonies along
the theme of the candidates business, hobby, or some frailty
as has been exposed during his membership in the club.
In past ceremonies incoming presidents have milked cows, rode
mechanized horses, castrated sheep, and have been disinfected
in vat baths. Fishing, hunting, and surgery have all gone "the
rounds" in the annual ceremonies. All in all, the majority of
the membership got a real "kick" out of the annual event. About
1987 things quieted down as the GGOPP change their annual "get
together" into a roast of the outgoing president.
Mesa Rotary Club has sponsored six new clubs. The clubs in Apache
Junction and Chandler were established to serve geographical
areas which did not currently have Rotary Clubs. Mesa has also
given up territory to help form Rotary Clubs in Tempe and Gilbert.
In addition, five new clubs (Baseline, Mesa West, Mesa East,
Mesa Sunrise and Mesa Boeing), have been established within
Mesa's territorial limits to provide greater Rotary opportunities
in this fast growing area.
Mesa has been pleased to take into its membership Ike Parrish,
a Past Rotary International Director who retired to this area
several years ago. In search of fund raising activities, the
Mesa Club began sponsorship of an annual BarBeQue; as new clubs
have been formed, they have joined in the sponsorship of this
annual event, and the five clubs prepared and served in excess
of 3,000 traditional western meals each year at this very popular
winter season event. Eventually the BarBeQue was dropped and
the Mesa Rotary Club joined with Bashas' in a golf tournament
to raise money for charity. In 2001 Bashas' did away with the
tournament. In 2002 we combined with the other Mesa Rotary Clubs
for a fundraising evening at the Broadway Palms Dinner Theater.
Mesa Rotary actively participates in Rotary International programs
and goals. This club has always placed a very high premium on
attendance, and in the first 65 years of its existence, club
attendance has never been less than 90%. Great emphasis is placed
upon participation in the Rotary Foundation, and more than 80%
of the members of the club are either Paul Harris Fellows or
Sustaining Members. It was a special honor to have Paul Harris
address the club just prior to his death. Additionally, two
Rotary International Presidents have been sponsored in the District
by the Mesa Clubs and the Mesa Club has been especially honored
by attendance and an address at one of its weekly meetings by
the Rl President, in 1983, Hiroji Mukasa. Mesa Rotary has also
been a strong supporter of the Youth Exchange Program and has
often sponsored at least one and usually more out-bound students
and has usually welcomed into its community at least one in-bound
student each year. In 1984 the Mesa Rotary club started a project
to take Christmas to children in Guymas Mexico. Each year aircraft
arranged for by Marge Thayer and Rotarians fly candy, gifts
and Rotarians to Guymas for a week end of fun and service.
In 1986, the club celebrated it's 65th Anniversary at a party
which will long be remembered by its members. In 1996 all of
the clubs in Mesa joined to celebrate our 75th birthday in a
special evening at Centennial Hall with all of the Mesa Rotary
Clubs. Since our last celebration the Rotary clubs in Mesa have
grown and still a leading agent of change for the betterment
of the community.
End of history
I think this history was originally composed by Charlie Mitten
with a few small corrections and updates by Dilworth Brinton
Jr. as of Feb 2006
Notes to this history,
The list of charter member in the history written by Charlie
Mitten is incorrect. The correct list is:
Founding officers: President: Ralph Palmer Vice President George
W. Silverthorn Secretary Francis Bloy Treasurer William E. Walters
Sergeant at Arms Frank Gurley Directors Ralph Palmer George
W. Silverthorn William E. Walters George A. Johnson C. Spence
Dingle Charter members are: Member Classification Dr. Ralph
Palmer Physician George W. Silverthorn Attorney (Mesa city attorney)
William E. Walter Cotton Buyer Paul Baxter Beville Cotton Grower
H(arry).A. Price Dry Goods L. Henry Van Spanckern Banking Rev.
Francis J.F. Bloy Clergy, Episcopal church W.M. Beach Commercial
Banking Will K. Bowden Citrus Grower E(d). Dale MacDonald Auto
Dealer Herman E. Hendrix School Superintendent Charles B. Flynn
Telephone Co. Frank E. Samuels Building Contractor John C. Raymond
Savings Bank (fire insurance) George A. Johnson Dry Goods (owned
the Toggery) C. Spence Dingle Druggist Arthur Viault Flour Miller
Harvey G. Bush Lumber Marquis L. Gibbons Funeral Director Frank
Gurley (owned Gem City Market -- grocery) John Cummard Farmer
Charles F. Price H. David Ross, Jr. Newspaper Publisher Dan
Collett Commercial Secretary
Club meeting places since Centennial Hall in 1976 have been
the Hotel next to Centennial Hall.
The Boeing Rotary club (made up of members of the Boeing Company
has also been established in our territorial limits.
The annual Rotary BBQ was eventually discontinued, in large
part because of problems from the county health department.
Eddie Basha asked the Mesa Rotary club to help with golf tournaments
which quickly became our annual fundraising event (for about
20 years). Bashas discontinued the golf tournament and ended
this relationship in 2001. Since 2001 we have had a silent auction
and theater night at the Broadway Palms Dinner Theater.
Through the first 65 years of the Mesa Club the AVERAGE attendance
was over 95% for the entire 65 years. We received a letter from
RI headquarters congratulating us on the highest average attendance
for any club in Rotary International. Unfortunately, since then
(1986) the average attendance has slipped.
Dilworth Brinton Jr Jan 2006 |
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