The Rotary Club of Hattiesburg celebrates a century of service this year and will honor the hard work and dedication of past and current Rotarians with a Diamond Anniversary banquet Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Southern Oaks in Hattiesburg.
Though the times have changed, Rotary’s motto, “service above self,” has not. It’s been the cornerstone for the foundation of Rotary and will continue to carry the club forward as it transitions into the next century of service to the Greater Hattiesburg area.
For the last 100 years, the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg has not only promoted good will and better friendships, it’s also been a platform to develop the best community leaders. Its many service projects have benefitted those locally, but also others around the world.
“Hattiesburg has a storied history, filled with traditions and the good work of people who strive to do better with and for their neighbors,” said Mayor Toby Barker. “In 100 years, that’s something that hasn’t changed and Rotary Club of Hattiesburg has been an integral part of that. Being a Rotarian is a global movement, and I’m proud of the work that has been established by both of Hattiesburg’s clubs.”
District Governor Ken Thompson is also.
“Rotarians are held in high esteem in their communities and provide for those in the community who are disadvantaged and in need,” he said. Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg for its 100 years of service to the community of Hattiesburg, and to the world.”
Twenty-five business and professional men were listed on the club’s original charter back in 1918. The application for membership into Rotary International was dated Feb. 16, 1918. T.C. Hannah had written his brother, a Jackson Rotarian, on Dec. 29,1917, seeking assistance in get a club started in the Hub City, while Howard S. Williams and V. M. Scanlan
also communicated with the with secretary of the Meridian Rotary Club, Hilrie M. Quin.
The original club charter, dated March 1, 1918, declared there were 25 members at that time; the population of Hattiesburg was 20,000 (noted as a slight exaggeration); 15 to 20 manufacturing plants in the city; approximately 150 retail stores; and the place of meetings was Kings Daughters Cafeteria (Old Methodist Hospital). The club was chartered as Club No. 366
Jan, 25 was set for perfecting a permanent organization, and Jan. 31 for installation of officers with visiting Rotarians from other cities and Camp Shelby as invited guests.
Twenty-six business and professional men were listed as charter members.
New leadership
James “Jamey” Mitchell was recently passed the president’s gavel from past-president Paula Brahan. The “Passing of the Gavel” is a time-honored tradition at the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg and Mitchell was the 102nd person to accept it. A number of past presidents were on hand for the occasion.
A Rotarian since 2006, Mitchell believes the “Spirit of Rotary” is the sole reason the club has been successful for the last 100 years.
“I believe that ‘Service Above Self’ has influenced every single member that has come and gone and their good works are the lasting testimony to the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg’s lasting success.
“Serving as president of the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg during this historical occasion is simply an honor and a blessing,” he said. “Our club has accomplished a multitude of goals during the last 100 years and I know that it will help shape our community even more so as we shift into the next century.
“We can all make a difference in our community, in our state and across the planet when we all put aside our differences and come together to help our neighbors. It is a reward for all concerned and beneficial to all involved. That is the cornerstone to our club and all Rotary Clubs.”
Mitchell believes service organizations makes a community better and stronger. “Personally, I feel that I owe something for the privilege of living on this planet,” he said. “Service to others is simply part of the “fee” I pay for this privilege.”
When the club observed it Golden Anniversary March 1, 1968, C. C. Hightower was the only charter member still living and a member of the club. The club celebrated its 75th anniversary on March 1, 1993. No charter members were living.
These days, Bill Hughes is the oldest and longest living member at 86. Hughes joined the club in 1971 and was introduced by Dr. Richard Bowen, a geologist at the University of Southern Mississippi, and father of District 5 Supervisor Chris Bowen.
Hughes has seen a number of changes through the years.
“There are more opportunities for service now compared to when I first became a member,” he said. “There are more organizations available to help the needy and women were allowed to become club members in 1987.”
Hattiesburg’s Erin Granberry was the second woman to become a member of the Hub City club and was inducted in July 1990.
According to Granberry, less than a year after women were allowed to become Rotary members, the club chose to honor longtime club sponsor and retired William Carey music educator Helen McWhorter as its first woman member.
“The late Mrs. McWhorter had been a regular at meetings and played the piano for club singing,” said Granberry of McWhorter, who was an involved member until her retirement and relocation to North Carolina in 2001.”
Granbery said members did not make a big deal about women joining their ranks, and she doesn’t recall it ever being an issue.
“Even though I was also one of the youngest members, I was always treated with respect and made to feel welcome,” she said. She recently asked the members who were in the club at that time if they remember any objections to women joining the ranks (some Rotarians resigned from other clubs rather than share membership with women, although it now seems that more threatened to do so than actually did). No one remembers even a grumble.
“I have experienced a warm camaraderie and the highest level of professionalism in my 27-year Rotary tenure,” she said. “It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”
Granberry’s membership was sponsored by Garland Sullivan, an active member, who has been in the club for 32 years. She said Mike Ratliff, with 34 years of service, played a big part in her becoming part of the club. He still advises and supports me to this day,” said Granberry, who was named Rotarian of the Year in 2003 and again in 2018.
“I can say without exaggeration that the Rotary Club changed my life. I was a member of the first class of what is now Leadership PineBelt with Ratliff, a Hub City attorney. At one of our meetings, Mike said, “Do you think you might want to go to France for six weeks with the Rotary Club?” My “yes” to that question started everything in motion.
She said that trip ignited a love for international travel that continues today. “It also introduced me to the Rotary Club and its mission. Life-changing hardly begins to describe what Rotary has done for me.”
“Now in the twilight of my career, I’m the longest-serving woman in the club. I’m eligible for Senior Active status (attendance is no longer required) in December, but I’m not going to take it. I am energized by the younger members and their enthusiasm and new ideas, and I hope to help them achieve their highest potential in Rotary as others did for me.”
Granberry said many of her professional relationships forged at the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg have turned into lifetime friendships that she will always cherish.
As for Ratliff, he has been a member for 34 years. He joined the club in 1984 after returning from a six-week trip to Brazil as a member of a Group Study Exchange team sent by the Rotary district, which consists of clubs in South Mississippi and South Louisiana.
When he returned from his trip, one of the Rotarians he knew invited him to join the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg, and he accepted.
“I wanted to have the chance to be a part an organization that serves its community and the world,” said Ratliff, who has seen some significant changes since joining. “We are now diverse in race, gender and ethnicity. We welcome men and women in business, professions, education, and those who are interested in making our community and the world a better place to become Rotarians. We are a service club. We don’t just meet to talk. We believe in taking action to help others. We’ve been going for 100 years and we plan to keep going.
Ratliff believes it’s the club motto that’s kept them going. “Any organization that exists solely for the benefit of its members will not stand,” he said. “Rotary exists to serve others, both at home and internationally. Who can say that their charitable activities have contributed to the eradication of polio around the world? A Rotarian can. That’s what will keep us going for the next 100 years.”
He also believes Hattiesburg is a better place because of the Rotary Club and other civic groups that dedicate themselves to service.
“When business and community leaders volunteer their time and expertise for the enrichment of their city, fantastic things happen,” he said. “There is outer reward, of course, but the personal rewards are also deep and rich. Rotarians believe that it is not just our duty and responsibility to give back; it is our joy and honor to do so.
Wes Brooks, became a member when his manager at then-CellularSouth inquired if he was a member of any of the area civic organizations.
When Brooks told her no, she told him to decide what he wanted to join, which would help with networking.
“The extent of my knowledge of these clubs began with knowing they always served good food at the Laurel Fair and their membership consisted of men my dad’s age,” Brooks said. “That’s about it.
Brooks went with size and chose the biggest – the Rotary Club, which he also learned was not only the biggest club locally, but also was the largest internationally with more than 1.2 million members in approximately 30,000 clubs throughout the world.
“As a young, naïve member of the club I learned very quickly that if I was not there to be of service to the club and my community, then I was most definitely in the wrong place,” he remembers. “And I certainly was not going to improve my network and increase my sales.”
Brooks said once he understood and embraced the club’s mission, “Service Above Self,” and took business out of it, things started happening without him even trying.
“In other words, if we were at a service project, at a meeting, or someone was visiting our club and the subject of cell phones came up, the patent response became, ‘Hey, you should go talk to Wes.’”
Brooks is quick to say, this isn’t your dad’s Rotary Club. “We are as diverse in age as we are in race and gender, and we are strictly neutral in the areas of religion and politics. For almost 10 years now, the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg has plugged me into my community in ways I could never have imagined, privileged me with experiences I would have otherwise never had, and has taught me what it truly means to serve. I will always be grateful for the opportunities of service through our Club.”
Rotary has been the driving force in the worldwide eradication of polio, reducing the number of polio cases from 350,000 in 1985 to 20 this year. Rotarians are active in disaster relief, providing funds and sweat equity for the victims of hurricanes and other disasters that have plagued the Gulf Coast. The Rotary Club of Hattiesburg has also chartered two other Rotary Clubs in the area, Hattiesburg Sunrise and Petal, expanding its reach in the community. Of the 50 clubs in Rotary District 6840, only one club has been in existence longer than Hattiesburg, the Rotary Club of New Orleans (Club #12, February 1910). In the State of Mississippi, the club is preceded by Rotary Club of Jackson (April 1, 1915, Club #144) and Rotary Club of Meridian (February 1916, Club #202).
The club meets at noon Tuesday at Southern Oaks House and Gardens.
“Our club is growing and we want to be the best in all that we do,” said Mitchell. “If you know of someone who excels in their line of work, has leadership capabilities and has a desire to serve others, then you or they need to come and visit our club. All you have to do is be our guest.”
Tuesday night’s celebration will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour. Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by a small program. Online ticket sales will end at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19.
From the initial members to a membership of more than 125 today, the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg continues to lead by example and is dedicated to making life better for others.
