Our 1.2 million-member organization started with the vision of one man—Paul P. Harris. The Chicago attorney formed one of the world’s first service organizations, the Rotary Club of Chicago, on 23 February 1905 as a place where professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Rotary’s name came from the group’s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of each member.

Rotarians haven’t just witnessed major moments in history—we’ve helped shape them. Rotary became truly international early on; within just 16 years of its founding, clubs were established on six continents. Today, members around the world work together—both digitally and in person—to take on some of our most challenging global issues.

Here in Coatesville, our club proudly supports the community through hands‑on service and meaningful contributions, including:

• Conducting an annual highway cleanup on Business 30

• Collecting and donating winter coats

• Awarding scholarships to Coatesville Area School District graduates

• Providing funds for student academic and extracurricular programs

• Giving personalized dictionaries to all third‑grade students in Coatesville's public and parochial schools