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Making a Difference for 100 Years! ��Rotary Club of Salem�

Special thanks to Dale Shaffer, Lois Firestone, and the Salem Historical Society who maintain the history of Salem for all of us.

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Salem and the World - 1921

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World War I ��The Great War��1914 - 1918

Originating in Europe in 1914, World War I quickly spread to involve the entire world.
The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, nearly three years after the war started.
American soldiers under John Pershing arrived at the rate of 10,000 men a day on the Western Front in the summer of 1918.
During the war, the U.S. mobilized over 4 million military personnel and suffered the loss of 65,000 men. A ceasefire and Armistice was declared on November 11, 1918.
In Salem, U.S. Army Capt. Percy Tetlow organized and commanded Company D in Salem which was part of the 10th Ohio Infantry and the 37th Division.
Men from Salem and all over Columbiana County mobilized on July 15, 1917, and eventually became known as Company A of the 134th Machine Gun Battalion after heading to France to join the war which included Meuse-Argonne Offensive, one of the final battles of the war for the Allies and one of the largest battles involving American troops.

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Spanish Flu ��1918 - 1920

The Spanish flu lasted from February 1918 to April 1920 and infected 500 million people, �50 million deaths in four successive waves (COVID 250 million cases, 5 million deaths, three waves, so far).
Locally, East Palestine was hit the hardest by the Flu due to a local military base. Their doctor even died, and they had to recruit a physician from Pittsburgh to care for patients.
People were instructed to wear masks and post red cards at their homes with the disease. Remember, there were no treatments or vaccine.
Early on, Salem locked-down and initially did very well... however on November 11, 2018 Armistice Day… the city celebrated causing a bad breakout leaving nearly 2000 infected and 44 dead by January.

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Salem the “City of Peace” -��Big Challenges in 1921

Returning WWI veterans were out of work.
Strikes at local plants including Mullins were violent with 200 men storming the plant with rocks, bricks, and firing pistols at imported workers.
Car stealing ring was taking cars right from driveways altering them in Damascus and reselling them.
Prohibition brought bootleggers, rum runners, hijackers, and corruption.

Ralph Hawley, Publisher of the newspaper and John Alan, School Superintendent had heard about Rotary, the international club formed 15 years earlier in Chicago by Paul Harris, and their maxim, ‘Service Above Self.’
With the support of two friends, Fred Pow of the First National Bank, and Larry Ferree of the Salem Light Company, the group gathered 25 men at the LaPalma Restaurant on February 8, 1921 to discuss forming a Rotary Club in Salem.
Organizers included Fred Emeny, R.A. Lamont, R.S. McCulloch, George Bunn, and Henry Nelson.

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April 1921 – ��The Club is Official

At a dinner held by the Rotary Club of Youngstown on April 27, 1921, the Rotary Club of Salem was officially welcomed into the International Association of Rotary Clubs.
Larry Ferree was elected the first President.
Weekly meetings began on Wednesdays at noon.�
and the rest history…

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Following in Great Footsteps

CHARTER MEMBERS

Larry Ferree, President
J.S. Alan, Vice President
R.W. Hawley, Secretary
Fred Pow, Treasurer�
Robert Atchison
J. Harlod Brian
Ralph W. Campbell
Charles S. Carr
William H. Dunn
Fred J. Emeny
Art B. Haslam
Richard Lamont
R.S. McCulloch
D.B. McCune
Henry C. Nelson
Frank H. Sebring
A.O. Silver
R.B. Thompson
Harry W. Young

��1921-

Walter Strain
Lee W. Atkinson
G.R. Demin
W.H. Matthews
Russell C. Gibbs
C.D. Harris

1922-

Floyd W. McKee

1923-

L. Frank Smith
Herbert Sharp

1924-

L.P. Metzger

PAST DISTRICT GOVERNORS

Bryce Kendall
Jack Vogel
Geoff Goll
George Hays

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First Project – Helping Crippled Children

1916 - Major polio outbreak in New York City kills more than 2,000 people. Across the United States, polio takes the lives of about 6,000 people, and paralyzes thousands more.
During the early decades, 20-30 children were under the care of the Club. Members transported children to hospital for orthopedic treatments and later to the Bycroft School.
Salem Rotary was a charter member of the “Society for Crippled Children” formed by Rotarian Edgar F. “Daddy” Allen in Elyria, Ohio, which eventually became Easter Seals.
In subsequent years, the Club hosted summer picnics and Christmas parties with students from the Bycroft School.
The wheelchair ramp at the Salem High School was a gift of Salem Rotary.

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Support of the Youth

The Club has always wanted to make a difference with youth.
Early on, they would invite students to their Wednesday noon meetings to ask what the members could do for them in the community.
They strongly supported the Boy Schools, and in 1924, Salem Rotary purchased 11 acres northwest of the city for a camp which included swimming, a mess hall, and log cabin.
That later expanded to the Boy Scout Twin Spruce Camp.
The club still supports the Scouts in Salem.

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Spreading Rotary -

The Salem Club helped organize and establish the Columbiana Club in 1923 and Sebring Club in 1925.

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Rotary Club of Salem’s �International Focus –��Foreign Exchange�Students

Rotarian Bryce Kendall became the Club’s first District Governor in 1964.
Bryce initiated the Rotary Student Exchange Program in the District promoting peace in the world.
Over the past 50 years, hundreds of local student have spent a year studying in a foreign country and foreign-exchange students from around the world have studied in Salem and the surrounding areas.

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International�Generosity –

Rotary Club of Salem is one of only a few Rotary Clubs in the entire world who obtained the 100% Paul Harris Fellow Recognition for considerable generosity to The Rotary Foundation, “Doing Good in the World.”

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Rotary Club of Salem – “Doing Good in the World”

Recent Rotary projects supported by our donations:

Women’s Hospital in Ghana.
Literacy Project in Guatemala.
ShelterBox for International Disaster Relief.
Central American Outreach (CAMO) medical support in Honduras.
Classroom-based libraries for elementary schools in Vietnam.
Advanced life support equipment and education in Honduras.
Water well, farming equipment, and goat farm in India.
Portable computers for schools in India.
Mini-science centers in India.
Boys & Girls Club van in St Thomas.
Hospital-based dialysis center in the Philippines.
Military Family Veterans Center in Louisville, Ohio.
GiGi’s Playhouse for Down Syndrome children in Canton, Ohio.

Rotary PolioPlus - Eradicating Polio in the World

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Community Focus

In the early days, the Rotary Club of Salem provided support for the

Memorial Building (Rotary’s home for a number of years)
Salem Hospital, Visiting Nurses, Community Daycare Center
Salem Community Foundation, Community Fund (United Way)
Salem Community Center, Salem Public Library, YWCA, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Community Theatre, and many more over 100 years!

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Local Generosity –��Salem Rotary Foundation

Founded 1995 as an Ohio corporation as a tax-exempt foundation to promote and foster the ideals of Rotary International which are based on the 4-Way Test to provide charitable gifts to those who practice these ideals.
Began with $20,000 from the Rotary Club, $700 from the original incorporators, now with assets of over $350,000.
Bryce W. Kendall Restricted Fund created in 1996 to honor past president, RI Director and Rotary Foundation Trustee, Kendall Society with gifts of $1,000 .
Support for Pay It Forward ($50 to needy at Christmas), Salem Chamber of Commerce, United Way, RYLA students, Salem Community Pantry, Rotaract scholarships, Salem Regional Medical Center, Salem Public Library, Salem Police K-9, Salem City Parks, Salem Senior Prom, Mobile Meals, Salem City Schools, Polio Plus, and other projects.

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Rotary Club of Salem –��100 Years of Making a Difference

Recent Community Support:

Community-wide United States Flag Project
Annual Pancake Day
United Way of Salem
Mobile Meals of Salem
Banquet of Salem
Salem Community Pantry
Fat Tuesday for Food Pantry
Salem A.I.D. (Action, Information, �& Direction)
Brightside Project (supports basic needs of children in our county)
Community Fireworks

�Recent Youth Support:

High School Interact Club
College Rotaract Club
New Golden Apple Teacher Award
Annual Rotary-KSU Career Day
Annual Third Grade Dictionary Project
Junior Achievement
Annual College Scholarships
Rotary Youth Exchange�
RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards)
Salem Youth Soccer League
Annual “Senior” Prom
Quakertown Superkids Classic
Boy Scouts of America
Gingerbread Day

2020 - COVID Response:

Protective gowns to Salem Community Hospital
Healthy snacks/water donation for front line workers at Salem Community Hospital (twice)
Water bottles for students at restart of school in fall
Protective masks, gowns and gloves to all local school district nurses
Books for Kids - Christmas gift project

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Rotary Centennial Project

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Salem Rotary �Family Sports Center�

A multigenerational, multifunctional family gathering place to socialize, practice sporting skills, and stay fit.

Past Support of Salem Parks:

Salem Swings & Things Playground – 75^th Anniversary
Heritage Park West State and Ellsworth – U.S. Bicentennial
Southeast School Minipark & Wading Pool – 50th Anniversary
Waterworth Park - Softball Fields
Memorial Park - Racquetball Courts
and many others…

�

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Salem Rotary Family Sports Center

Central Gazebo with inviting walkway and bench seats for outdoor observation and gatherings

Children’s playground
Large soccer practice area
Grass and sand volleyball courts
Batting practice cages
Golf practice cages
Cross-fitness area

The project was to be developed over upcoming years, but we have raised over $155K to complete it next year!
Generous donors: Rotary Club of Salem, Shane Franks, Joe Sedzmak, William Dawes, Carl Apicella, Peter Apicella, Jon Vollnogle, Shelby & Scott Mingus, Suzanne & Leo Hickey, Barbara Plummer, Sara Mastrangelo, Jack and Sandy Russell, John Wise.