A century of service to Henryetta is going to be marked Saturday night as local Rotary Club members hold a special dinner and anniversary party.
That centennial birthday will be held at the civic center starting at 7 p.m.
The local club started in the summer of 1917 when 14 local businessmen met and applied to the national organization. Rotary (now Rotary International) was only 12 years old at the time. That made the Henryetta club one of the first in the nation.
Rotary started in Chicago in 1905 as a way to bring businessmen and professionals together to help their communities. The name stems from the group’s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of its members.
Now the organization has 1.2 million members in clubs around the world.
The Henryetta club over the years has provided scholarships, performed various civic projects and worked with schools and youngsters.
A park on South Fourth Street has been equipped and maintained by the local club. In addition, every year, club members spend several hours at the Little Olympics competition. That gives grade school-aged children an opportunity to run, throw, jump and kick for medals.
The original officers in 1917 were: William Seymour, president; U.H. Cox, vice-president; Frank Dashiel, secretary-treasurer; R.G. Stone, C.H. Kellogg, H.C. Fellows, C.J. O’Hornett and J.W. Hinton, directors.
Current club officers are:
Latonya Henley, president; Wes George, president-elect; Terri Thompson, secretary-treasurer; Jennifer Thompson, past president.
The group meets every Tuesday at noon at The Shack.