When Paul Harris founded Rotary in 1905, he wasn't trying to create a club of people who all looked alike, thought alike, or worked in the same profession. Quite the opposite.
His own life had taken him down many different paths. Before becoming an attorney, Paul Harris worked as a newspaper reporter, business school teacher, stock company actor, cowboy, marble and granite salesman, fruit farm laborer, hotel clerk, and even a seaman crossing the Atlantic on cattle ships.
Each experience allowed him to meet people from different backgrounds, occupations, and cultures. He learned that every person has something valuable to contribute and that the strongest communities are built when people with different perspectives come together around a common purpose.
More than 120 years later, that same spirit is alive in the Rotary Club of the Original Mile.
Different Backgrounds. Shared Purpose.
Our members include a media company owner, an FAA employee, nonprofit leaders, a baker, a gardener, an archery shop owner, business professionals, public servants, and community volunteers. On paper, our careers couldn't be more different.
Yet around the Rotary table, those differences become one of our greatest strengths.
Every Perspective Has Value
A gardener may see solutions that an engineer doesn't. A baker understands the importance of serving people every single day. A nonprofit leader sees community needs firsthand. An FAA employee brings precision and safety. A media professional knows how to tell stories that inspire action. An archery shop owner understands patience, discipline, and helping others develop new skills.
No single profession has all the answers.
When people with different experiences, talents, and viewpoints work together with mutual respect and a shared commitment to service, better ideas emerge and stronger communities are built.
Returning to Rotary's Roots
That's exactly what Paul Harris envisioned.
The Rotary Club of the Original Mile isn't just a new club.
It's a continuation of the original idea: friendship across professions, backgrounds, and experiences creates opportunities to serve our communities in ways none of us could accomplish alone.
In many ways, we're not reinventing Rotary.
We're returning to its roots.