Rotary International issued the Charter creating the Rotary Club of Oakwood on August 27, 1980. Don Treiman, a Kettering Rotarian, was the principle force behind the creation of this new club. Treiman and Ed Saslow secured the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Dayton and worked out the details required to launch a new Rotary Club.
Oakwood Rotary Club members participate in numerous activities such as fundraising for causes both local and national, hosting exchange students, and raising money for scholarships for local high school students. They also contribute their time to local community causes. The club's flagship annual fundraising events are; "That Day in May" and "Oktober Fest". These events and numerous smaller ones have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities since 1980. Club members also have the opportunity to attend various casual networking mixers hosted by the club and to hear speakers on a variety of topics at their weekly meetings.
Rotary International, the worldwide umbrella organization to which all rotary clubs belong, was created in by Paul P. Harris, in 1905, Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram Shorey gathered at Loehr's office in downtown Chicago. This was the first Rotary club meeting. They decided to call the new club "Rotary" after the practice of rotating meeting locations. The name Rotary International was adopted in 1922.
Rotary has 1.2 million members in more than 200 countries. The organization's motto is; Service Above Self.
From the guide to the Oakwood Rotary Club Records, 1980-2012, (Wright State University, Special Collections and Archives)
