Rob Doherty, advisor of ALTV, the television production class at Armand Larive Middle School, makes a presentation at the at the April 7 Hermiston Rotary Club meeting at Trinity Lutheran Church. The Hermiston Rotary Club is celebrating its 75th anniversary this week.

Chartered on April 12, 1941, the Hermiston Rotary Club began with 17 members. The club is celebrating 75 years this week.

Among the charter members are the fathers of current Rotarians Frank Harkenrider and Rick Rankin, said Steve Williams, past president. The current membership includes 67 members.

The club is part of Rotary International, which boasts 1.2 million members worldwide. It started with the vision of one man — Paul P. Harris. According to the organization’s website, the Chicago attorney formed one of the world’s first service organizations in 1905.

The club was established as a place for professionals with diverse backgrounds to meet and exchange ideas. The name came from the club’s early practice of rotating meeting places.

When Rotary International first started, it was an all-male organization. However, by the late-1980s, the club opened membership to women. The Hermiston club followed suit. Williams said there are a number of women that belong to Hermiston Rotary, as well as couples.

Williams said the club focuses on local and international humanitarian projects.

“It’s local people working to solve local problems and international projects,” he said.

Rotary members contribute their time and energy to a variety of projects, including on issues like peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, education and literacy and economic and community development. In 1985, Rotary launched an effort to eradicate polio across the globe.

“We are getting closer,” Williams said. “The number of cases is being cut back each year.”

Locally, the club has been active in providing scholarships to college students, scholarships for educators for continuing education, an annual Arbor Day tree giveaway and working on local parks, including the Oxbow Trail project.

Williams said Rotary has continued because there is a lot to be done. Also, he said the fellowship is fun and relationships are built.

The membership, Williams said, identifies what projects to be involved with. They provide the resources to complete them — whether it’s financial or time and manpower.

“There’s been a lot of members over the 75 years,” Williams said. “The strength of the Rotary Club is the members that are involved.”

To join Rotary, prospects must be sponsored by a current member. Anyone interested in joining is encouraged to contact a Rotary member to learn more.

For more information, call President Tim Beinert at 541-656-5298 or search Facebook for “Hermiston Rotary Club.”