The Rotary Club of Canton officially was founded in 1915, 10 years after attorney Paul Harris and three friends launched Rotary International in Chicago. However, Canton's first preliminary organizational meeting was held at Bender's Restaurant Nov. 11, 1914, with seven men in attendance.

Three more preliminary meetings were held at Bender's Nov. 19, Nov. 27 and Dec. 10, 1914 and the first regular meeting occurred Jan. 8, 1915. However, the official chartering date assigned by Rotary International was April 1, 1915. Ammon Mitzel was the first president and Calvin R. McLean, who was the prime mover in organizing the new club, was the charter first vice president and the second president. There were 36 charter members. The club's R.I. charter number was 146.

Early meetings were held at Bender's, the Courtland Hotel, the YMCA and the Elks Club. The club moved into the new Onesto Hotel in 1933-34 and was there 40 years, shifted to the Mergus Restaurant and was there 11 years. It closed April 11, 1983 and in the next three years members met at the Four Winds Restaurant, Canton Memorial Civic Center and Florian's Crystal Light Restaurant. The club returned to its natural downtown location in May 1986 shortly after the new Canton Hilton Hotel opened. It meets there, now the McKinley Grand Hotel each Friday at 11:45 a.m.

Today the club is the largest among the 48 clubs in District 6650, Rotary International, with its membership in the 310-320 range, and is the fifth largest in Ohio behind Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo and Dayton.

In its very early years the club's major project emphasis involved assistance to the YMCA but in 1921-22 aid to crippled children officially became its primary undertaking and it remained so for the next 30 years until the care of crippled children and financial aid for them came under the United Way.

However, the club's support of crippled children continues to this day with the sponsorship of the Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops for handicapped youngsters. The Boy Scout troop was chartered in 1940 and the Girl Scout Troop in 1954.

Prominent among the club's numerous other projects are participation in the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, Group Study Exchange, Rotary Youth Leadership Award seminars and sponsorship of students attending the World Affairs Institute.

The club has excelled in competition, winning 35 Governor's Cups in 39 years for general excellence among large clubs between 1958 and 1996 and scoring very well each year since the competitive format was changed in 1996-97.

Web Design & Web Hosting Services by The Karcher Group