75th Anniversary

NORTH SUFFOLK ROTARY CLUB

The North Suffolk Rotary Club is one of the newest clubs in the Tidewater area having been admitted into Rotary International on August 31, 1976. The idea of creating a second Rotary Club in Suffolk had its beginning through the efforts of Frank Sheffer, who was the president of the Suffolk Club, Pete Petros. District Governor and Robert H. Williams, the Governors Special Representative.

The need for a new club in Suffolk paralleled the development ofthe newly consolidated City ofSuffolk. In 1974, through a two=stage consolidation of a county, a city, and two towns, the City of Suffold was created. The consolidated City of Suffolk covers a land area of430 square miles, and as such, is the largest city in Virginia and the fifth largest in the country. The Suffolk Rotary Club had traditionally served the urban core of the city which was geographically located in the center of the new consolidated city.

Charter night was November 5, 1976 with 23 charter members.

Its first major civic undertaking was initiated in April 1977 as a fund raising golf tournament to provide financial assistance to the Old Dominion Area Council of Scouting, U.S.A. The tournament was held in September of that year and the club was able to donate over $2400 to the scouts.

The club has made this an annual affair in order to provide a continuing opportunity for the club to serve scouting.

Last summer. the club sponsored two French students for a three week period as part ofRotary Internati0nal’s Student Exchange Program. The club exposed the French students to every aspect of the excellent quality oflife in Tidewater.

The North Suffolk Rotary Club has tried to exercise to the fullest extent possible the phrase “Service above self and He profits most who serves best”.