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From 1920 and our First President Rev. Charles Moss to 2019 to and our current President Guillermo Samuel Hamlin
In 2020 Malden Rotary will celebrate 100 years of service to the Malden community and the world. On January 1, 1920 the Malden Rotary Club received the inaugural charter from Rotary International. A visit to the Providence, Rhode Island, Rotary Club, late in the fall of 1919 inspired Charles Moss, one of Malden's outstanding ministers, to organize a Malden Rotary Club.
Reverend Moss had investigated the fast growing Rotary movement and wanted Malden to have a club that would provide civic activities and foster boys work. As a result he called together a number of business men to explain to the significance of a Rotary Club. To help him tell the story of Rotary, he called in Governor Charles Lovett of the Lynn Club and a number of meetings were held in the Malden Club Rooms over the Caldwell Furniture Company (later the Masonic Temple) and twenty-four business men signed up as charter members.
Since then the milestones of "Service Above Self" are many and have expanded beyond Malden where are support and service include projects around the country and the world.
The Malden Charter # 584 is dated January 1, 1920. Two weeks later, January 16th, the Malden Rotary Club takes on its first community project- a drive to re-establish the Boy Scouts in Malden. Under the chairmanship of Charles Keniston the club raises $5000.00 in only three weeks, and the goal is achieved! This same year, 1920, the Malden club helps with the work at the Childrens' Recreational Club on Waitt's Mount.
In 1921 the Club made a commitment to stand up and fight against the curtailment of mail carriers and deliveries in Malden. Then in 1922 Malden Rotary sponsors the first Grammer School Field Day at Ferryway Green. Malden Rotary's strength in the community grows and so does Rotary's reach in our region; Charles Keniston of the Malden Club organizes the Wakefield Rotary Club. The value of Rotary and Malden in particular begins to spread as evidenced by the quality of speakers looking to influence the world as Artcic Explorer Donald MacMillan visits the Club as one of the Clubs Luncheon speakers.
Malden Rotary focuses it attention on the community in 1923 when the provided 10 memberships to the Malden Y.M.C.A. for 10 worthy boys. The Club also sets its sights on expanding the regional reach of Rotary International as club member Frederick Prescott organizes the Somerville and Medford Clubs; making three new clubs organized by Malden in two years. Based on that success, Malden Rotarian William Halliday sponsored the Newton Club.
As part of our Centennial Celebration, the Rotary Club of Malden looks forward to showcasing our efforts to build upon our early successes to make the world a better place and encouraging other to join us begin the journey of another 100 years.