WHY THE ROTARY YEAR STARTS 1 JULY

WHY THE ROTARY YEAR STARTS 1 JULY

Dollars and some good financial sense are why the Rotary Year starts 1
July – at least that’s what the RI auditors said, according to 1912 –
13 RI President Glenn C. Mead’s report in the September 1913 issue of
the Rotarian.

The auditors found that the organization’s affairs had been managed
“honestly and carefully.”  Still, RI was growing and had recently
become an international organization and its needs were changing.

The secretary and treasurer needed more time to prepare, audit and
check the organization’s financial statements by the end of the
calendar year.  The auditors recommended that the organization close
its financial books for the year on 30 June, which was after the RI
Convention.  The Board of Directors agreed and ever since, the Rotary
Year has begun on 1 July.

MONTAGUE M. BEAR
HE GAVE ROTARY ITS WHEEL

MONTAGUE M. BEAR , an engraver and designer, came into the Rotary Club
of Chicago in 1905, its charter year.  Because of his classification,
his fellow members asked him to design a fitting emblem for the new
organization.  He gave them a sketch of a simple buggy wheel – a basic
design, representing civilization – and movement.  Later, some members
complained that the wheel was too plain and asked Monty to dress it
up.  He added a cloud of dust, then some streamers, and the words
“Rotary Club”.  The design satisfied until 1912, when other Rotarians
began to experiment with redesigns of it, ultimately suggesting that
the Rotary board agree on a standardized emblem.  In 1919, the wheel
as we know it was officially adopted.  In 1924, one final improvement
was made; the wheel was given a key way, making it a “worker” rather
than an “idler”.  Today that wheel “works” for Rotary everywhere.

Monty was voted an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Chicago in
1935, in honour of his long service to his club and for the “mark” he
made on Rotary International the distinguishing “logo” that was
survived the orgnization’s first 75 years; Monty remained a Chicago
Rotarian until his death, in his late 70’s.

Today the Rotary wheel identifies Rotary and Rotarians in every corner
of the world Montague M. Bear was always proud to know that he had
given that wheel its first turn on the road to Rotary service.

HISTORIC MOMENTS – ROTARY MOTTOES