History of the Rotary Club of Golconda

Early in 1929, Dr. Cameron Harmon, President of McKendree College, at Lebanon, Illinois, and Governor of the 45” District of Rotary International, appointed Harold Barnes, Lloyd Parker and Roscoe Pulliam, with the assistance of Past District Governor Charles Taylor, a committee to investigate the suitability of Golconda as a site for a Rotary Club.

The Harrisburg Committee, early in February, invited Brad Chase and Rev. Will H. Kieihorn, former A residents of Harrisburg, to bring two or three of their Golconda friends to Harrisburg and attend a meeting of Rotary, the object being tà discuss the matter of establishing a Rotary Club at Golconda.

Later in the month the Harrisburg committee with eight or ten other Harnsburg Rotarians, arranged a banquet at the Riverview Hotel in Golconda and entertained fifteen or twenty Golconda business men who might be interested in the organization of a Rotary Club. A number of speeches were made by Harrisburg Rotarians explaining the purpose of a Rotary Club From something that was said at this meeting it became impossible to organize at this time, A committee of Brad Chase, Will Kielhorn, Theo. S. McCoy and Will Walker were appointed to see whether or not a club could be organized Brad Chase and Theo S McCoy spent several days canvassing and finally succeeded in securing seventeen men to sign as charter members of the Golconda Rotary Club.

On March 6, 1929, a meeting was held at the Riverview Hotel, at noon, for the purpose of organizing the Rotary Club of Golconda. Brad Chase was selected temporary chairman, and Theo S McCoy, temporary secretary A constitution and by-laws were adapted The charter was subsequently granted on April 4, 1929.

During the first year, the Rotary Club of Golconda met at 12:00 P.M. on Wednesday’s at the Riverview hotel through July 17, 1929. Then the meeting time was changed to 5.45 P:M., Wednesday evening beginning with the July 24, 1929 meeting. Then on September 18, 1929, the meeting time was switched back to 12:00 P.M. at the Riverview Hotel.

**From the “History of the Golconda Rotary Club,” by Theo. S McCoy, Secretary.