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Waynesville Rotary Club HISTORY OF THE WAYNESVILLE ROTARY CLUB

History of Rotary in North Carolina

North Carolina's first Rotary Club was formed in Raleigh on August 1, 1914, becoming the 124th club in the world. The Wilmington club, the state's second, was organized on April 1, 1915, making it Rotary International's 150th club. Nearly all North Carolina's 262 clubs are decendants of the Raleigh, Wilmington, or Richmond (VA) clubs. Rotary began organizing into Districts (then called "Divisions") in 1912. Each division was governed by a "Representative." District Governors were first named in 1926. North Carolina's earliest clubs (1915-18) were grouped into District 4 with the southeastern part of the USA, south of Washington D.C. and Maryland. In 1917, the Rotary clubs of North and South Carolina and Virginia were grouped into District 7. As Rotary grew, redistricting took place more regularly. North Carolina now has 6 districts: 7730 (Southeast NC), 7720 (Northeast NC), 7710 (East Central NC), 7690 (Central NC), 7650 (West Central NC), and 7670 (Western NC).  The Rotary Club of Waynesville is located in District 7670.

Facts and General Interest Items About the Waynesville Rotary Club

Currently the Waynesville Rotary Club meets in a second floor banquet room at the Waynesville Country Club. Approximately 100 members are in attendance each week. Weekly visitors are numerous, especially during the tourist season. It is not unusual for the club to have 12 or more visiting Rotarians at any one meeting. Most visitors are from Florida, with others coming from across America and Internationally. Weekly meetings are held Fridays at 1:00pm. Traditionally, members begin arriving between 12:15 and 12:30. The occasion is used for visiting, conducting business, or planning social events. Meals are served buffet style with salads, cold and hot vegetables, meats and desserts in great abundance. Meal costs for members is $10.00, with weekly dues an additional $3.00 weekly.

A Survey of Current Membership

The two largest categories are Medicine and Manufacturing. These are general descriptions and are not meant to represent specific classifications. Service institutions are next, including funeral services, arts director, Waynesville Police Chief, etc.; retail managers and members in various religious professions; followed in declining order by attorneys, real estate business, banking and financial services, management/accounting, and education. The remainder are in a variety of businesses from computers, engineering, architecture, consulting, and environmental sciences, among others.

Waynesville's First Rotary Club

The charter meeting for the Waynesville Rotary Club was held at Waynesville First Methodist Church on March 7, 1925. Asheville Rotary Club was the sponsoring club. According to the March 12, 1925 issue of The Carolina Mountaineer, "An address by G. Heyward Mahon, of Greenville, SC, District Governor of the thirty-eighth Rotary District, which includes North Carolina, featured the induction of the Waynesville Rotary Club into Rotary International (Friday night, March 7th), at the Methodist Church. "The Asheville Rotary Club was sponsor for the new organization and it was under the auspices of that club that the meeting was held and the charter formally presented to Waynesville Rotarians. Mr. Mahon made a masterful address in which he told of Rotarian ideals and what those ideals mean to the world and each individual member of the whole organization. Mr. Mahon formally delivered the new charter to Rev. Thomas Mangum, president of the new club, and gave it in behalf of the international organization." The newspaper account went on to identify the charter members and the new officers of the club.

Founding Officers and Club Members

President: Reverend Thomas Mangum Vice President: Samuel H Bushnell (Blackwell-Bushnell Wholesale Groceries) Secretary: Ernest L Withers Treasurer: Hillard B Atkins (Banker and Insurance) Sergeant at Arms: W.A. Coble (Coble Jewelry Store) Board of Directors: Theo McCracken (McCracken's Clothing Store), J. Hardin Howell (Attorney, postmaster, Mayor of Waynesville), J.M. Long (Hazelwood General Merchandise) Charter Members: Dr. J.F. Abel (Family operated Wayside Inn), Charles S Badgett (manager of Suncrest Lumber Co.), C.M. Dicus (road building contractor), R.O. Edgerton (principal of Waynesville Township High School), T. Lenior Gwyn (cattle buyer), E.J. Hyatt (Hyatt and Co. lumber and building material), Leon M Killian (operated ice plant/cold storage), W.L. Lampkin (operated telephone company), F.E. Martin (Martin Electric Co.), Dr. N.M. "Nick" Medford (dentist, famous bear hunter), Dr. J.R. McCracken (eye, ear, nose and throat), W.C. Phillips (building contractor), Grover Cleveland (Cody) Plott (Plott Hardware), F.G. Rippertoe (general store at Frog Level), S.C. Satterwait (owned Eagles Nest Mountain), J.D. Stenz (superintendent of Lake Junaluska), Dr. S.L. Stringfield (general practitioner), Thomas Stringfield, H.L. Sloan (manager of Haywood Electric Power Co.), George H Ward (attorney, Morgan and Ward law firm)