History

The Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor came to be through the idea that a breakfast time (versus a noontime) meeting might result in the increased interest of many more potential Rotarians and in surrounding communities. The business sector is a large and very active group within this area. For several of the members of the existing club who were instrumental in the formation of the Harbor Club, business pressures were making it difficult to give up an hour and more in the mid day. Because of this the idea of meeting at 7:15 A.M. grew increasingly more popular to this group of Rotarians as well as potential members who, in the past, had been unable to consider and/or accept membership in Rotary.

 

During the fall, winter, and spring of 1995-1996, several planning meetings of existing Rotarians and the then sitting District Governor Gene Hastings, and Past District Governors John Hooper and John Lotspiech were held. By July of 1996, informal weekly gatherings began at a location at Devereux Beach. What started with a group of about fifteen attendees, soon grew to over thirty.

 

The Rotary Club of Marblehead agreed to share the territory with and be the sponsor of the new club. Finally, the paperwork for Rotary International was completed, all classifications for members of the new club were approved and the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor was chartered on September 16, 1996, with forty two members, nine of them former members of the Rotary Club of Marblehead. At this happy occasion, the Club celebrated with a charter dinner at the Corinthian Yacht Club.  Karen Swaim-Babin, the sitting District Governor, presented the new Club’s President Fraffie Welch with the Club’s Charter. Many officers and members of several of the District 7930 clubs attended this gala.

 

Though the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor is a young organization, it is one that is full of energy, enthusiasm, ideas, and motivation to carry out the Rotary ideal of "Service Above Self".