Complete 100 Year History of Mason City Noon Rotary

 

 

 

In 1853 a few settlers formed a community under various suggested names. The town site was tentatively named Masonville. When postal service was initiated it was discovered that this name was used by another community, therefore the leaders of the community chose the name Mason City in 1855. By the year 1914 the city had grown to approximately 17,000 people with 300-400 businesses and professional offices which would be available to form clubs such as Rotary. At the close of 1914 Hugh Shepard, a Mason City Attorney, had a desire to form a Rotary Club in his town. He contacted a long timefriend, E.J. Carroll of the Davenport Rotary club for information. He was referred to Chesley R Perry, secretary of the International Association of Rotary Clubs. After much correspondence, Mr. Perry advised that Mason City was too small a town to have a Rotary Club so the matter was dropped.

 

Still persistent, Mr. Shepard kept in touch with John O. Knutson of Sioux City, who was District Governor of the 10th District of Rotary. Shepard was invited to attend a meeting of the Cedar Rapids Rotary Club. On May 5, 1916, John Gordon, JR. of the Cedar Rapids club came to Mason City to attend the organizational meeting held at the Cerro Gordo Hotel attended by the leaders of business and professional people, There were 22 men who agreed to join the new club. Officers were elected and an application was submitted to the parent organization which at the time was known as the International Association of Rotary Clubs which today is Rotary International.

 

The new club chose the Cerro Gordo Hotel as its meeting place. Over the years other luncheon meeting places were the Soda Grill, and Mason City Chamber of Commerce and new rooms in the Globe Gazette building and then moved to the Hanford Hotel where it remained until 1969 when they moved to the Sheraton Motor Inn, now known as Park Inn International. It also met with various members as host in their place of business.

 

Rotary, the world's first service club organization. can be described in many Ways. Officially, Rotary is defined as "an organization of business and professional people united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world". Rotary is People in a community having accepted the Ideal of Service as a basic of attaining fulfillment in their personal, vocational and community lives. In fact, the Ideal of Service, exemplified in the motto "SERVICE ABOVE SELF" is the thread that runs throughout the Rotary world and unites like-minded people in thought and action, no matter what part of the world they live in.

 

Now, over one million service-minded people belong to more than 25,000 Rotary Clubs in 172 lands. Clubs must meet weekly usually for breakfast, lunch or dinner, SO that all members may enjoy each other's fellowship before they get down to the business of running the club and discussing its service goals. Membership is by invitation only and is based on choosing one representative of each business, profession and institution in the community. The purpose of this "classification" system is to ensure that the members of each club comprise a true cross section of their community's business and professional life or endeavor.

 

Rotarians strive to create order where there is chaos, beauty where there is ugliness, fellowship where there is loneliness and misunderstanding and health and happiness where there is poverty and disease. Rotary, then, works to bring together a friendly, impartial atmosphere with people of all races, religious faiths, and political beliefs. Its bond is fellowship toward the common end of service, despite individual differences regarding the means of reaching that end.

 

Thus, Rotary cultivates understanding and cooperation by emphasizing common interests while avoiding commitment on partisan measures of activities on which people are so often divided.

 

Besides their work in their club, a Rotarian is encouraged to serve as an individual in whatever ways and places they find opportunity. For example, because each Rotarian is a business of professional person, they are urged to make their business not merely the basis of their livelihood but also their way of living a good life - of serving their fellow people competently and unselfishly.

 

 Moreover, one strives to make use of their opportunities for service in their business or residential community. Since business is independent, they have an opportunity, in cooperation with other Rotarians in their vocation to improve conditions through advancement of understanding and goodwill and the creation of higher ethical standards. where necessary, in business. Likewise they have their opportunity as a member of an international fellowship to seek to better conditions in general for all mankind. The religious and political beliefs of a Rotarian are regarded as their own private concern, they are expected to be loyal to their country and faithful to their professional religion.