1905: Paul Harris Founds First Rotary Club in Chicago   1907: First Rotary Service project . . . a public lavatory!   1917: Rotary Foundation started; now one of the world’s most charitable foundations.   1933: Four Way Test adopted.   1948: Rotary given advisor status at United Nations  Charter Conference.

1962: Rotary’s youth service club, Interact, founded . . . 123 clubs in the first year.   1978: 3-H grants created. (Health, Hunger & Humanity)   1985: Polio Plus launched.   1987: Women admitted to Rotary!   2005: Rotary celebrates 100 years of “Service Above Self.”

Rotary’s Centennial Celebration

On February 23, 2005, Rotary will celebrate its first 100 years!  Founded in 1905 in Chicago by attorney Paul Harris with three friends, Rotary has grown to over 1.2 million members in over 30,000 clubs and 160 countries.  Each year $65 million is donated to the Rotary Foundation that provides grants and aid across the world.

To celebrate its century of service and success, Rotary has planned a series of events and projects.  Central to its mission of “service above self,” Rotary Clubs across the world will be performing Centennial Service Projects to make a difference in their local communities.

Bakersfield East Rotary Club’s Centennial Project

The Rotary Club of Bakersfield East embarked on a search for a worthy project in April of 2003.  Several suggestions were presented by club members.  A signage project was suggested for the Kern River Parkway and this suggestion has taken on a life of its own.  The Project was registered with Rotary International and a Centennial Project Committee was formed.  The project is designed to fill a recognized community need, provide a “hands-on” project for the club members, partner with other organizations in the community, and provide on-going recognition for Rotary International and our club in the community.

Current Status:  After conducting initial meetings to “focus our project” we researched other parkways and bike paths to find out what other communities were doing and determine what would work within our environment.  A meeting with Parkway and Community leaders was held to establish a partnership on this endeavor.  Our idea was presented by Centennial Committee Chairman Gary Hoetker to the Bakersfield Water Resources Board and was accepted.  The Water Agency agreed to assist with our plan to produce location signs along the Kern River Parkway by supporting them with concrete monument style pedestals.

Chairman Gary Hoetker was assisted by other members of the Centennial Committee:  Steve Kysor, Larry Moxley, Dan Giordano, Mike Cooper, Dick Giles, Pat Griffin, Wayne Kress and Mike Brazzell.

Funding for the project came primarily from local community groups and businesses as well as a Grant from The Rotary Foundation. Now nearing completion, the Bakersfield East Rotary Centennial Project has sparked additional interest in the Kern River Parkway and other organizations are now asking to be associated with our signage project.

A Community Dedication Ceremony held on April 16^th at Yokuts Park included the unveiling of the Centennial Project plaque recognizing our project partners for their contribution.  We are currently applying for a “Bicycle Friendly Community” designation from The League of American Bicyclists.  Communities that are bicycle friendly are seen as places with a high quality of life.  

The members of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield East are proud of their contribution to the enjoyment of the Kern River Parkway by the people of Bakersfield and appreciate the partnership with government and community organizations to celebrate Rotary’s Centennial.