Hornell Rotary Club History
Three days before Armistice Day in 1918 the Hornell Rotary Club was formed. A
trainload of 75 men from Elmira pulled into the Hornell depot, debarked and walked
to the YMCA, where they inducted 60 Hornellians into the fledgling Hornell Rotary
Club. It was a day of song and speeches, but Hornell Rotary’s birth was
overshadowed. For on that day a spasm of premature celebration shot through the
Canisteo Valley as a rumor spread that World War I had ended. Cannons were fired
and people literally danced in the streets of Hornell, Canisteo and other
communities-mistakenly, it turned out. The Kaiser would not flee Germany; the
shelling would not stop for three more days. It was an auspicious beginning.
George Robbins was the first club president. There was a band from the Shattuck
Opera House and Ray Page lead the singing.
In 1921 the Hornell Club chartered the Wellsville Rotary Club and in 1925 we
chartered the Canisteo Rotary Club. In November 1928, celebrating ten years,
tickets for a banquet and music were $2.50. In the 1933-34 year Harold Ranger
presented a program on his trip to Mexico. He was the first Harold Ranger in our
club, the father of long time 50-year member Harold Ranger, Jr. Tickets for the
Rochester Inner City Dinner were $1.50. During 1933 at a Rotary Club meeting at the
Hotel Sherwood there was a program featuring two live lions. The club members
had a group picture to memorialize the event.
For several years a weekly letter was issued and mailed out to all the members.
During the depression it was discontinued. In 1938 the club felt a need for a weekly
bulletin and the first issue of The Hub was published April 1, 1938. Some members
felt it was an appropriate date. Some gleanings from the bulletin, J. N. Norwood was
club president and you could sign up for the Rotary International Convention in San
Francisco. You would go by train leaving June 12 and returning July 4. Several
members did go. Also Robert A. Sweeney and Sandy Davidson were Junior
Rotarians.
During World War II the Alfred contingent held their meetings in Alfred because of
the gas shortage. This was approved by Rotary International.
Our club has had three District Governors, J.N. Norwood in 1945-46, Milo Van Hall in
1975-76 and Robert Gaffney in 1999-2000. We have had three members who have
been club president more than one year, George Robbins, Ken Isaman and Joe
Damrath.
Over the years the club has been instrumental in starting many projects and funding
many others. In the 1920’s we provided money and manual labor to help develop the
City of Hornell playgrounds. A big project was establishing a Fresh Air camp on the
Richtmeyer property, which is now part of the Almond Dam. We have been involved
with Camp STAR since its inception. One of our major fundraising projects had been
Radio Day on WLEA for over 30 years. For the past twenty-five years we have
sponsored a multi-phasic Blood Testing program for the community. Some
organizations that we have supported over the years are the United Way, YMCA,
Salvation Army, Red Cross, Boy and Girls Scouts, CampFire program, Little League,
Cinderella Softball, DARE program, Hornell Public Library, Arkport softball and
baseball, Children’s Home, Arts Council, Interfaith Volunteers and many more.
Since 1982-83 we have been involved in the Rotary Youth Exchange program. Our
first student was John Smith from Australia. In 1983 Traci McGrosso was our first
Ambassadorial Scholar. In 2003 Melissa Pritchard was our Ambassadorial Scholar to
Spain. She is an Alfred University graduate.
Since the early 1990’s we have had an annual musical starting with Annie. We have
had Monte Carlo nights, concerts, art auctions, worked at the Corning LPGA and at
many other fund raising projects to help support our projects throughout the
community and world. Some of the projects were building handicapped ramps,
buying a computer for a student with cerebral palsy, supplying children with
wheelchairs and beds, providing a picnic and entertainment at the Hornell Nursing
Home, Adopt a Highway, painting rooms at the Salvation Army building, donating
$7,500 to the Hornell Public Library at our 75th Anniversary celebration, organizing
an evening with the Canisteo Rotary Club at Camp STAR and along with Canisteo
Rotary have had a Rural-Urban Day for area farmers. In 2002-03 we provided 3rd
grade students in area schools with dictionaries. These are just a few of the many
projects we have done over the years.
In 1999-2000 we had our first Rotary International Matching Grant project with the
Rotary Club of Junagadh in District 3060 in India. It was providing materials for the
blind in their community. We have raised monies since 1985 for Polio Plus to help
eradicate polio in the world. Since the late 1960’s the Hornell HS Show Choir has
performed at our Christmas meeting. Our most recent project is the Quest for
Pennies in coordination with Radio Station WKPQ, this raises funds for Camp STAR
and other needed projects. The Club is also very active in the Literacy Project which
is supplying books and also reading to elementary school children. Since 2008 the
Club has sponsored a Free Family Fun Day at James St. Paark
As you can see, we have been a most active service club in our community. Our
past has been eventful and our future looks bright.
•Some of the material was in a speech given by Bob Gaffney at the 75th Anniversary
Dinner in November 1993.
•Updated 9/17/98 and 2/26/2011
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Brief History