The Greenville Rotary Club (#565), one of the oldest civic organizations in Pitt County, is a club that was established to provide fellowship and service to the Greenville community. The club is a branch of Rotary International, an international service organization formed in 1905. Rotary International was founded to bring business and professional leaders together, to provide humanitarian services, promote high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Rotary's primary motto is "Service above Self." An earlier motto was "One profits most who serves best."
The Greenville Rotary Club (#565) was originally organized in 1919 and received its charter that same year. The club's membership started with only twenty-two charter members. The club's first president was a medical doctor named Dr. Cicero J. Ellen. In 1920, a two-story building was constructed for the Greenville Rotary Club, giving the club the distinction of being the world's first Rotary Club to own its own building. This building not only served as a place to hold Rotary Club meetings but also served as a meeting place for other organizations, including The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. These organizations are among many that The Greenville Rotary Club have sponsored over the years.
