The Norwich Rotary Club was founded at a luncheon on Wednesday, March 10th at 12:30 in the afternoon.
The following is the account of the meeting, from the March 11th edition of the Norwich Bulletin.
The Norwich Rotary club was organized Wednesday at a meeting held at the Wauregan house in connection with a luncheon at 12.30, and it was decided that Wednesday would be the day each week for the subsequent regular meetings of the club.
The following officers were elected at the organization meeting: President, Joseph C. Worth; vice president, Harry M. Clark; treasurer, Dr, Clarence A. Spear: secretary. Edwin H. Baker, Jr.; directors, T. C. Murphy, James L. Crawford, Howard Baker, Harry M. Clark, H. M. Lerou, Herbert Adams and J. C. Worth.
Four members of the New London Rotary club were present to assist in the organization, making brief addresses in which they described the value and benefits of the organization as they had experienced it in their city. These were President Cornelius Costello, Secretary William T. Clark, Treasurer Walter E. Canfield, and Walter G. Lewis.
At the meeting next week the Norwich club will be addressed by Frank Branch Riley, a prominent attorney of Seattle, who will speak upon The Lure of the Northwest.
According to the constitution of Rotary clubs, the charter members are to by 25, and 21 of these attended the meeting Wednesday and joined the organization.
There is a waiting list out of which the others will be chosen, and after that further members may be elected by the body, which is designed to include only one representative from each line of business.
The members joining at the first meeting were Joseph C. Worth. Harry M. Clark. Dr. Clarence A. Spear, Edwin M. Bauer, Jr., T. C. Murphy, William H. Oat, James L. Crawford, Howard Baker. H. M. Lerou. Herbert Adams, Charles F. Wells. Clinton K. Lane, Willis Austin, Lucius Briggs, Louis R. Porteous, Henry G. Peek, James L. Case, Eben Learned, C. A. Spear. Jr.. Charles R. Butts and Adelard Morin.
Amazingly, there is a video of the speaker from the first regular weekly meeting, Frank Branch Riley, who went around the country talking about “The Lure of the Northwest.”