History: a study of the club archives

“Auburn Rotary Club History Minute: 1960-65”

Today’s Rotary History Minute focuses on the first half of the 1960s—1960-65. Membership in the Auburn Rotary Club in the early 1960s was considerably less than it is today. On July 1, 1960, the membership was 62 (58 actives and four honorary); in the late 60s membership totaled 77. Today our membership is 120.

This Club had three meeting places in the 60s; can you name them and do you know where they were located?

First, we met in the Green Room at the Pitts Hotel until January 1962. The Pitts Hotel was located on the north side of Magnolia Street between College and Gay Streets across from St. Dunstan’s Student Center and was located next to the Five and Dime store. Magnolia Place now stands where the hotel and several other business buildings once stood—prior to the great Copper Kettle gas explosion early one Sunday morning in January 1978.

Second, from 1962 until 1965, the club met at the Village Inn, now the University Inn, located on the west side of North College Street next door to the Baptist Student Center.

Third, in mid-1965, we moved again. We’ll talk about that later; so put on your thinking caps and be ready with the answer next month.

Several members in the early 60s, whose names you’ll recognize were Jim Foy, Olin Hill, Lan Lipscomb, Vann Parker, Bob Partin, Rex Richburg, Ellsworth Steele (who served as president in 1959-60), Dr. Ben Thomas, Swede Umbach (father of Arnold), Floyd Vallery (father of Jim), Shorty White and Harold Zallen.

During the 60s, members’ birthdays were recognized, as we do today; however, they didn’t have a Dick Phelen to make the introductions as only Dick can do! But, members were expected to contribute to the club a penny for each year of age. Most members just contributed $1 and called it even.

In the 60s the club was very much concerned about classification openings, attendance and prompt payment of members’ club bills. Classification and attendance rules were more restrictive and they were enforced more strictly than today. It was not unusual for a prospective member’s application to be put on the back burner, so to speak, until a classification opening became available.

The January 1960 board of directors’ meeting took note of an attendance violation by a member who had not attended 60 percent of the meetings during a six-months period. The member was contacted and warned to “cease and desist from such violation in the future.” No wonder the attendance percentage was above 90 percent most of the time, with several 100 percent attendance meetings. (Only twice since July 2006 has our attendance exceeded 70 percent; most of the time our attendance is in the 50s and 60s range). Of course, we need to recognize that today we are a much more mobile population than in the 60s, and our jobs and professional activities require much out-of-town travel, some of which preclude makeups. However, we should also make note of the ease and convenience with which we can make up absences today—via Internet and by attending our club committee meetings.

Meeting minutes reported that there was no formal program for one meeting, so announcements were made; “the numerous announcements provoked many comments from the floor—some wise and some otherwise!”

At one meeting it was reported that “Jim Foy was so moved that he gave a spontaneous response with an original rendition of the song 'A Ding Dong Daddy.'” There was no clue about what he was responding to.

In the future if we have a no-show program, maybe we could ask Jim to sing for us!

To be continued next month!

Report of the History Committee for January 11, 2007