Orange Rotary Celebrates 90 Years
ORANGE ROTARY’S NINETY YEARS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
by Joanne Coontz
Orange Rotary celebrated its 90th birthday on December 1st as the first Rotary club in the City of Orange. It received its charter in 1921 through the efforts of prominent businessmen interested in addressing the needs of the local community. It continues today as a strong organization.
President Jean Abdalla opened the luncheon meeting at Grand Catered Events in Orange with a sumptuous banquet attended by members and guests. Special recognition of the club’s positive contributions were formally credited through presentations by Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell, Orange Mayor pro-tem Tita Smith, and Ryan Holmes, representing the office of Congressman Ed Royce.
Event Chairman, Pdg. Cliff Nelson, outlined the club’s many contributions over its many decades in the City of Orange. He presented a list of over fifty major accomplishments including Orange Rotary’s sponsorship of four other Rotary clubs in the area, sponsorship of three Boy Scout Explorer posts in Orange, major funding of the new Orange Main Library, mini- grants for teachers, student scholarships, and the annual Rotary Police and Fire Awards. International projects include worldwide disaster relief, sustainable water wells and clinics in distressed countries, and major support of International Rotary’s project to rid the world forever of the scourge of polio.
Featured speaker, Dr. Sylvia Whitlock, told of her experience in starting the first all-women Rotary Club at a time when women were not allowed in Rotary Clubs. The issue of membership selection was eventually resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court. Women became active members in Rotary in the 1980s and the attendance at the 90th birthday was evidence of that change.
President Jean Abdalla, a co-recipient of the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year recognition in Orange, along with her husband Dr, Mike Abdalla, proudly introduced a new student volunteer program she initiated at Chapman University called the Rotaract Club of Chapman University. She shared the newly received charter with the club’s organizer, Sophmore Shalyn Johnson. The fledging organization has already had a successful membership drive and introduced their first volunteer activity.
Orange Rotary is appreciative of the support of its membership of successful individuals in business, professional, and political categories who have supported the organization through the decades with their leadership ability and dedication. For more information about Orange Rotary programs and membership, please contact President Jean Abdalla at jeanaabdalla@att.net.
