Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Rotary Club of Wytheville Records, Mss. Collection 2000.1, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, VA

Acquisition Information

Donated by Mary B. Kegley in 2000.

Accruals

Additions to the newsletter, "The Windmill, " are contributed regularly.

Historical Information

The following is an excerpt from Mary B. Kegley's booklet, "75th Anniversary, Wytheville Rotary Club, 1925-2000. "

On December 21, 1924, Charlie Magill and Tom Wallner, representatives from the Pulaski Rotary Club, were instrumental in the formation of the Wytheville Club by assisting with the formation of Charter Number 1888. This organizational meeting was held at St. Paul Methodist Church Annex. The club was admitted on January 15, 1925, and the next meeting was held in the dining room of the Fourth Avenue Hotel (now gone) on February 12, 1925. Twenty local citizens attended with Wythe County   native Governor E. Lee   Trinkle as a guest. The meeting was "taken up largely with discussions of business. " All of the local gentlemen and an additional four became the twenty-four charter members.

Over the years, the Wytheville Rotary Club has met weekly at the following locations: The Fourth Avenue Hotel, the George Wythe Hotel on Main Street in downtown Wytheville, Holiday Inn on East Main Street and the current location, Ramada Inn on Peppers Ferry Road (now gone). [The club meets at the Wytheville Golf Club circa 2012]/

The Wytheville Rotary Club has been active in promoting worthy enterprises on the local as well as the international level. Their projects over the past years have included the promotion and encouragement for the building of the George Wythe Hotel in 1926 with completion in 1927. The club met at the dining room of the new hotel beginning January 7, 1928, a location used by the club for many years. Other contributions included support for the new high school, planting trees on Main Street, and promotion of the development of U. S. Route 11 to the east. The club was also responsible for the placement of a brass plaque in the courthouse in honor of those local residents who were killed in World War I.

They also gave their support toward the refinishing of the George Wythe High School gym floor, to the building of the George Wythe Athletic Complex, to the building of the Wythe County   Community Hospital, to the operation of the Brock Hughes Free Clinic, to the Rock House and Boyd Museums, and to the United Way. They contributed more than $1,800 toward the construction of the Wall of Honor in Withers Park. In recent years the club has sponsored a team in the Relay-for-Life for the American Cancer Society and has presented scholarships for seniors in the three local high schools each year, and Vocational Awards to three outstanding vocational students at the Wythe COunty Vocational School. Members worked on the Adopt-a-Highway project, the playgrounds for children, and each year have supported the Salvation Army by Serving as bell-ringers. They have also sponsored the Dale Carnegie course for local citizens on several occasions, and recently have assisted in the formation of the George Wythe Interact Club, now boasting more than 78 members. The Haunted House, gold tournaments, the fifty-fifty lottery, spaghetti dinners, pancake suppers, and auctions of gifts from around the world have been among the money-raisers for the local club.

On the national and international scenes the local club has given $58,000 to the Rotary Foundation by recognizing outstanding local citizens entitled to the Paul Harris Fellows awards. We contributed more than $30,000 to Polio Plus, a program determined to eradicate polio by 2000, by cooperating with international, national, and local health organizations giving inoculations to millions of people in more than 100 countries of the world.

Exchange teams and individuals have been sent to Sweden, England, Wales, New Zealand, Scotland, American Samoa, Australia and South Africa, and similar individuals and groups have visited and been entertained in Wytheville from Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, South Korea, People's Republic of China and Philippines. They participated in the "Reach Out to Haiti " project which provided a variety of services at the Rotary Center there. They have contributed to the Skelton Scholarship and names a Skelton Fellow (Danny Bird) helping to fund scholarships for Philippine students at Virginia Tech. Contributions to the Well Project in Bangladesh assisted in digging wells in communities throughout that country serving more than three-quarters of a million people. Books were collected from the members and the community and thousands of pounds were sent to South Africa and the Philippines for Project Read.

Scope and Content

Series I contains correspondence (1990-1994) of the Rotary Club of Wytheville. Membership issues such as resignations, dues and fees, leave of absence, and activities comprise General Correspondence (1991-1994, Undated). Letters regarding scholarships (1990-1994) awarded to area youth may also be found in this series.

Series II (1979-1999) contains administrative records of the Rotary Club of Wytheville including constitution, by-laws, minutes, semi-annual reports, and community development committee reports.

Series III (1973-1999) includes records of District 757 of Rotary International which includes the Rotary Club of Wytheville. Records include newsletters (1985-1999), conference programs and proceedings (1973-1990), group study exchange records (1973,1990), and two booklets on the history of Rotary District 757 by Carl J. Coiner (1980, 1987).

Series IV (1980-1993) contains financial records including statements prepared by auditors and miscellaneous financial records including annual budget (1992-1993), deposit statements (July 1992-February 1993), and second quarter and third quarter financial statement (Undated).

Newsletters of the Rotary Club of Wytheville ( "The Windmill ") from 1974 to the present comprise Series V.

Miscellaneous Records (1958-2000) are contained in Series VI including publications, a history by Mary B. Kegley, brochures, Polio Plus campaign flyers and pledge cards, newspaper clippings, and an International Student Exchange application from Jonatan Serrano.