Tim Beinert, president of the Hermiston Rotary Club, welcomes members of Altrusa International of Hermiston during a joint meeting of the services clubs April 7 at Trinity Lutheran Church. The Hermiston Rotary Club is celebrating its 75th anniversary this week.

Businessmen from all walks of life have been gathering as part of the Hermiston Rotary Club for 75 years. The club, which was chartered April 12, 1941, added women to its ranks several decades ago after the international all-male organization opened its membership to women.

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

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

The club, Williams said, 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 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 Hermiston 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 about the Hermiston Rotary Club, call president Tim Beinert at 541-656-5298 or search Facebook for “Hermiston Rotary Club.” For more about Rotary International, including finding local groups, visit www.rotary.org.

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Contact Community Editor Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539