Service clubs were a new idea then. At that time twenty-one men banded together as charter members of the Quakertown Rotary club the first service club in our area. The charter was presented by the District Governor of the 35th District of Rotary International on April 21, 1924. Our club, in turn, was instrumental in the organization of the Upper Perkiomen, Kutztown, Perkasie, and Souderton-Telford clubs
During WWII, the Quakertown Rotary Club members, being mindful of the motto “Service Above Self” organized and operated such war-time related projects as the Service Men’s Center, Civil Defense, Liberty Bond Drive, and other activities and events. Community Service has been one of the club’s main avenues of service. This took the form of youth activities such as 4-H, Boy & Girl Scouts, Memorial Park, Teenage Center, Playground, Student Loan, Children’s Home, wading pool at Memorial Park, and the Quadrangle at Quakertown High School. To promote international understanding, our club has actively participated in various student exchange programs by hosting foreign students and sending local students abroad. Community Institutions such as hospital, Memorial Park, airport, and swimming pool, have all been sponsored and supported by the Quakertown Rotary. Many members, past & present, have been leaders in their communities & practices “Service Above Self” in public service, church service & civic organizations. We can proudly say that Rotary has filled a unique place in our community as Quakertown’s first “service” club.
