About Our Club
Subpages
Related Pages
Links
Files
Photo Albums

Brief History of the Rotary Club of Springfield South

During the 1965-1966 Rotary year, members of the Springfield Rotary Club decided another club should be organized in our community.  To accomplish this, it was necessary that the downtown club relinquish territory to the new club and secure approval of District Governor Ernie Tosvosky and of Rotary International.  Downtown Rotarian Bill Montague was appointed Special Representative of the District Governor to head a committee for this purpose, and he remains an honorary member of our club today.

Through efforts of this committee, prospective members were interviewed; and an organization meeting was held January 27, 1966.  The Rotary club of Springfield South was admitted to membership in Rotary International on February 18, 1966 with 30 men (yes, only men were allowed to be Rotarians back then!) of various vocations agreeing to become charter members, some of whom resigned from the Downtown club to make this possible.

The unusually large number of 30 charter members and their wives were honored on Monday, March 28, 1966, at a charter night ceremony at Hotel St. Nicholas sponsored by the Rotary Club of Springfield.  John Montgomery, president of the Springfield (downtown) club, presided over the ceremony along with Bill Montague.

In 1987, women were first admitted to Rotary International, and Rotary South soon followed suit.  As of February of 2024, our Club is celebrating our 58th year.  

In 2020 Covid-19 took it's toll on gatherings, but in 2022, the group began meeting at MCL Cafeteria on Wabash in person again.  We are back on track and looking forward to welcoming new members to the Club.