ROTARY GLOBAL
HISTORY FELLOWSHIP 10th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION- CHICAGO OCTOBER 10-12, 2010
BYDICK MCKAY- RGHF SECRETARY/TREASURER
EMERITUS
On 11 October 2000,
Rotarian Jack Selway, Colorado,
USA,
conceived the idea of incorporating the histories of the first 50 Rotary
Clubs on the internet. Since Rotary started in
Chicago, I called him and offered the support of
ROTARY/One in this effort. Within days, then DG 5470 Eddie Blender,
Wichita #30 Club President Geri Appel, and
New York
#6 webmaster Matts Ingemanson joined our
ranks.Shortly before the
San Antonio Convention in June 2001, we decided to invite the officers of
the first 50 clubs to a cocktail party, which we guaranteed. We were
overwhelmed with the
response and by the time we left the convention we had
concluded we should preserve the first 100 clubs of the world. Today, we
have histories of nearly 1,000 clubs, including more than half of the Rotary
world’s districts, and many other projects beyond the clubs.
R/O Rotarian Angelo
Loumbas provided the legal expertise which enabled us to successfully
request Fellowship status from Rotary International. This was granted on 3
October 2003.
RGHF has a
Board
comprised of 100 members who represent 49 zones and zone sections. The board
is convened online, monthly, over a three day period. There are currently 15
historians and 10 webmasters volunteering their time. RGHF has nearly 700
dues paying members and is growing rapidly. ($30.00 per year)
The website contains
over 25,000 articles about the Global History of Rotary included in more
than 4,000 pages on the internet. There are more than 100 separate projects
underway at RGHF. This information is available free of charge to anyone
accessing rghf.org.
The celebration of
the 10th anniversary of RGHF was the launching pad for
the first
RGHF Institute.The purpose of the Institute is to find a handful of Rotarians who
will dedicate their lives to history, so that thousands more might dedicate
their lives to Rotary.
6:00-9:00 PM Welcome Reception and Dinner at the Union League Club
Our headquarters
Registration, Jack, PDG's Fred Otto and Geri Appel, and Nevine Abdelkhalek,
Egypt.
PRIP Frank Devlyn, Mexico; PDG Sandy Duckworth and Patrick Schauer, USA
Members from different countries, register. Most know each other from our
Facebook account.
Bob Gebhard, Frank Devlyn, Ursula & Angie Jimenez, and Ruth Kaplan
Sandra Myers, registers
Founders
get their Alumni pins. Jack Selway, Dick McKay, Matts Ingemanson, and PDG
Geri Appel
All members received their special alumni pins. Nevine Abdelkhalek, Egypt,
left and PRIP Devlyn, right.
Rotary International President and RGHF founder. "eating"
Christodoulos Achilleoudis, Cyprus, tells the story of how his club became a
100% club. Joe Kagle (on the
screen) was our
president, Dick McKay foreground
MONDAY-OCTOBER 11
Rotary
International Headquarters in Evanston by chartered bus van. First
a stop at the offices of the Rotary International Archives,
with the archivist as our host.
Monday
3:30 - 5:00 PM RGHF
"Tea & Talk - Women and Rotary".
We discussed how to improve
www.jeanharris.org
with "RGHF Women and Rotary" board member PDG Sandy Duckworth.
PDG Sandy discusses the future of our women's section
PDG Ron Sekkel rises to make a point
RGHF 10th Anniversary Official Dinner
6:00
Walk five blocks to the Willis (Sears) Tower ( far right) for cocktails and dinner
at the
Metropolitan Club. (a beautiful view of the City of Chicago, seen
on the near right)
Our RGHF Institute dinner at the
Metropolitan Club, Willis Tower (Sears),
Chicago 11 October 2010
Nada Mahmassani, Sandra Myers, PDG Helen Reisler, and Ursula Jimenez
Joe Kagle being interviewed for our documentary
Reception
Ken Lerman and PDG Geri Appel
Sue & PDG John Behrendt, Gordon Devlyn, Frank Devlyn, DG Robb Knuepfer
View from the top
PDG Michael Swinford
PDG Irv Kaplan and Tim Tucker
PDG Bill and Sue Davis-Hornby
PDG Sandy Duckworth and
Patrick Schauer
TUESDAY-OCTOBER 12
VISITED Paul Harris and Silvester Schiele's grave sites and tour Comely Bank,
Paul & Jean Harris' home, by chartered bus. (see photos below)
RGHF Institute Alumni Visit the
home of Paul
Harris. RGHF Institute Alumni are seen touring the home. RGHF contributed
$1,000 to assist. To contribute to this restoration project, visit the
Comely Bank website at
http://www.paulharrishome.org
The Editor of the Regional Rotary Magazine, titled "Rotary News",
Rtn.T.K.Balakrishnan has once again thought it fit to carry an article that
I had sent on our 10th Anniversary celebrations and more so on the Paul and
Jean Harris House. I had spoken to him of the condition of the House and how
much of an effort the Rotarians of the Chicago region and more especially
the Rotarians of ROTARY/One are taking in sprucing this invaluable treasure
house of the Harris's.
By this note and through you, as Founder of
RGHF, I like to convey my sincere thanks to Rtn. T.K.Balakrishnan (TKB) for
supporting this worthy cause. Warm Regards, N.K Gopinath,
RGHF Board
Comely Bank
Comely Bank
Board member Mark Van Fleet
Back of house
Front of house
PDG Michael Swinford and Jack Selway
Nevine Abdelkhalek
PDG Irv Kaplan
Sue Coates photo, looking toward Sylvester Schiele's house.
RGHF gives $1,000 to Comely Bank
Jack Selway, PRIP Frank Devlyn, and PDG Michael Swinford
Tuesday - The Paul Harris Memorial & Presidential Walkway.
Shown in one of the scenes are RGHF members Dick McKay, Rick
Thiernau, Brian Andersen, Robb Knuepfer, Geri Appel, Toni Byrnes, Irv
Kaplan, Ted Gifford, Jack Selway, Frank Devlyn, and Matts Ingemanson pay
tribute to Paul Harris (Also see the
RGHF Alumni
who were responsible for this event)
RGHF contributed $1,000 to
assist with the new walkway.
His first person
articles on Ches Perry, Herb Taylor, and a 2003 speech at the Rotary Club of
Chicago.
"History is only valuable if it allows us to stand
on its shoulders, and look into the future. The greater the history, and the
finer the tradition, the farther we can see."
Left to Right: the late *David Durham - ROTARY/One President 2010 - 2011 and new RGHF
member, *Dick McKay - Founding Secretary of RGHF, *Andrea Luehmann -
ROTARY/One President 2011/12, *Robb Knuepfer - DG 6450 2010 - 2011, Elaine
Harrison -Titch's wife since 6 February 1945, *Titch Harrison - ROTARY/One Archivist
and new RGHF Member, *Basil Lewis - Senior Historian For RGHF - UK, Walter Stawicki - ROTARY/One member who chauffeured the Harrisons
(*RGHF members)
RGHF founding secretary and Chicago host Dick McKay
Long time member and president of RI when we began, Frank Devlyn
RGHF Founder Jack Selway
RGHF at RO
Nevine Abdelkhalek, Egypt
RO President and RGHF member Andrea Luehmann
RGHF and RO members. Mark Van Fleet and Kate Sherry foreground
RGHF Institute Alumni Members at the ROTARY/One luncheon
www.1905society.org - The "1905
Society" awards for 2010 went to five RGHF members
Afternoon open for visits to Art Institute, Millennium Park, Navy Pier,
Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, shopping on Magnificent Mile.
(see photos below) (optional on
your own)
Honorary alumni member David Phelps bids of farewell. He was invaluable
The program for this event was provided by those from other countries. Here
is deputy zone 16 member Kent Vesterberg, Sweden
Institute members share their thoughts.
Part 1:
PDG Irv Kaplan, USA; Jean Sweeny, USA; PDG Tin Tin Raschid, USA; Bilal
Raschid, USA; Jose Fernandez, Dominican Republic; Matts Ingemanson, founding
member, USA; Joe Kagle, USA; Irene Herz, USA; NK Gopinath, India; Malek Mahmassani, Lebanon;
Kent Vesterberg, Sweden; Tim Tucker, England; John Lane, Australia Part 2: PDG Ron Sekkel, USA; Dick McKay, RGHF founding
member, USA; Frank Devlyn, RI President 00/01, Mexico; Gerrit Terpstra, USA;
PDG John Behrendt, USA; PDG Helen Reisler, USA; Mark Van Fleet, USA; Sue
David-Hornby, USA; Nevine Abdelkhalek, Egypt
RGHF
members speak out at the 2010, 10th Anniversary of Rotary Global History
Fellowship, Chicago, Illinois, USA... Starts with the closing of the Rotary
Club of Chicago meeting, (RGHF member Andrea Luehmann) and then comments
from RGHF Institute Alumni
Some of the photos & videos courtesy of
www.dejaviewsusa.com of
Chicago, ROTARY/One and members of the RGHF Institute Alumni (Sherry Koski,
Matts Ingemanson, and PDG Irv Kaplan)