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Women in Rotary
A HISTORY OF WOMEN IN ROTARY - Generic Version revised 4/28/13
Presented by Bob Shankman to 20 Chapters in the District in 2013
A HISTORY OF WOMEN IN ROTARY - Generic Version revised 4/28/13
Before I start, I want to note that I’m wearing the newest Rotary pin, which clearly shows the current theme “PEACE THROUGH SERVICE”. So, I’m going to ask all of you to take a few seconds, now, and look around your table and see who’s also wearing a Rotary pin.
BUT, as you look around the table and room, today… or at any Rotary meeting you probably don’t see anything unusual. HOWEVER, it wasn’t always like this.
Having women in the audience is relatively new.
I’m intrigued by the fact that women are such a new addition to this 100 + year old organization. I’ve learned that there have been several, very early attempts to include them.
The 1st official attempt was at the R.I. (Rotary International) Convention in 1910. Some delegates introduced discussion to allow women, but it was overwhelmingly rejected.
The LOS ANGELES HERALD August 18, 1910 had this to say about the decision: “Because the average man cannot manage the average woman, the members of the Rotary Clubs of America barred women from their organization.”
It is interesting to note, however, that the first constitution for Club # 1 (The Chicago club) adopted in Jan 1906 makes no mention of gender. It refers only to “persons”. But apparently, it was implied to mean “men “.
Efforts to join internationally also began early. In 1912 a club in Belfast, Ireland discussed the advisability of women joining and/or attending weekly luncheons. However, it was rejected.
The 1921 International Convention, in Scotland, produced the Standard Club Constitution. In it the terminology was changed to state “A Rotary club shall be comprised of men.” But, it also permitted, at that time, the formation of a separate “Ladies Auxiliary”. I guess they were using their own version of “separate, but equal”.
There were other movements, over the years, but they didn’t gain any momentum. The Upper Manhattan Club in 1972, for example, proposed to admit women but it was rejected with “laughter”.
Several subsequent international conventions, specifically in 1950 (India) and 1964 (Sri Lanka) considered deleting the word “male” from the Constitution. But, again they were withdrawn or defeated.
Additional efforts were heard in the late 60’s and early 70’s. This was coincidental with the rise of the women’s movement and the fact that women were reaching higher levels, in their professions.
In 1976, Duarte, California had a very small Rotary Club. Duarte is a town about 12 miles east of Pasadena. Currently there are about 21,000 residents. Since the Club had only eight members, then, they voted to invite three women into the club. Two of them, both school principals, Mary Lou Elliott and Donna Bogart, joined immediately. The third joined a few months later. They wanted to grow the club and this move dramatically grew it.
Initially, the new members were listed using only their first initials. However, a few months later, in celebration of the Club’s 25th anniversary, they were re-introduced using their full complete names.
As you might expect, word spread and a few months later (Feb. 1978) their charter was revoked by R.I. After refusing to remove the members, this club changed their name to the EX–Rotary Club of Duarte – and existed without a charter.
This began a series of legal actions. The Club initially filed suit protesting the revocation of the charter. In 1983 the California Superior Court ruled in favor of R.I. and upheld gender-based discrimination. But the California Court of Appeal later reversed the decision, that same year.
The Court ruled that the Duarte Rotary Club was, in fact, a business establishment and that it came under the auspices of the Unruh Civil Rights Act which outlaws discrimination, in California.
R.I. then tried to appeal this decision to the California Supreme Court . The Court, however, refused to hear the case. It was then appealed to the US Supreme Court. It seems that R.I. was very intent on keeping women out.
The US Supreme Court made their decision on May 4 1987 . It ruled that Rotary clubs may not exclude women from membership on the basis of their gender. It basically upheld the decision of the California Court of Appeal.
This was a 7-0 decision. There were two Justices that did not participate. It is speculated this was true because Harry Blackmun was an Honorary Rotarian and Sandra Day O’Connor’s spouse was a Rotarian.
Justice Powell, in his opinion for the court stated: “ The relationship among Rotary Club members is not the kind of intimate or private relation that warrants constitutional protection”.
“… the Court rejected Rotary’s argument that it has a constitutional right to bar the admission of women as members of any affiliated club because of its selective membership policy, public service activities and other attributes.” Stated the NY Times 5/5/87
The Associated Press - May 6, 1987- noted that “the court’s ruling turned on the notion that Rotary Clubs often are important forums for developing business contacts. “
Rotary (US) reacted fast and accepted the decision. A policy statement was issued stating that any US club, could now admit qualified women as members.
The Duarte, California Club ( now reinstated) initiated it’s first women in early June 1987. The Club is still in existence and meets Wednesday mornings at 7:45 at Dennys.
While there was widespread media publicity, after the Court decision, there was no direct communication from Rotary International. The Duarte club eventually received an invoice/recap sheet asking it to list its members as of June 30, 1987, and to pay international dues based on the membership. The Club listed all members, including the women.
To this day, that invoice remains the only communication from R.I. regarding the end of the Duarte charter revocation and its subsequent reinstatement.
Women continue to play a key part of the spirit of the Club and they are now known as “The Mouse That Roared, the Rotary Club of Duarte.”
Sylvia Whitlock, one of the early members, became the 1st women Rotary club president after the court ruling. She recently went on to become Governor of District #5300 (California & Nevada) on July 1, 2012.
RECENTLY, she emailed me and advised me that she had read my presentation and “learned some new things”. She will be honoring some of the men that invited women into ROTARY, at her next district conference.
In 1989 at its first meeting, after the Supreme Court ruling, the International Council of Legislation, voted to eliminate the “men only “ requirement. This meeting was held in Singapore.
I recently gave this presentation to the Cedar Grove Club. There, I was advised that one of their members (Bob Pityo PDG 1983-84) was in attendance where he recorded his vote to admit women. He told me, that there was an “extremely active debate”, on both sides of the issue.
In fact, the final vote was 328 (75%) for a change and 117 against.
Prior to this change, however, although not allowed as members, women, especially wives, were enthusiastically welcome at meetings. In fact they were known as Rotary Ann’s.
This tradition began in 1914. The national convention was being held in Houston and several members rode on a train that started in San Francisco. Two women, named Ann, were traveling with their husbands and affectionately became known as “Rotary Ann”. The name stuck and soon applied to women who attended the meetings or functions.
In my Club, NEWTON, the first women were admitted in 1988. They were Laura Camp in June 1988 and Pam Lazarro, a few months later. Laura indicated to me that she was warmly accepted without incident.
In July 1988 a Newton guest noted “ “If wives of Rotarians are called Rotary-Anns, what do you call husbands of lady Rotarians?”
The answer was that the spouse should be called “Rotary Andy”. It should be noted that very little mention has been made of either term since these women were inducted. Now we are all know as Rotarians.
The court decision was a major news event throughout the country.
THE BERGEN RECORD May 5 1987 noted the Supreme Court decision with a major story. It mentioned that the Maywood Rotary Club had attempted to admit two business women, in the past year. However, they were blocked by R.I. The chapter President, then, said he was “pleased by the decision” and would try to admit the women, now.
The paper also stated that the decision would open the doors to women, not only in Rotary, but other “male only” clubs such as Kiwanis.
In fact Kiwanis changed their constitution in 1988, as well. Women currently make up 26% of their membership.
The Associated Press noted “
Within days, Rotary Clubs in Vermont and Nebraska have voted in female members following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that Rotary International could not revoke the charters of local chapters for admitting women.
The club in Auburn, Neb., acted Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after the court's ruling, voting in the woman who has played piano for Rotary meetings there every week for the past 31 years.
On Wednesday, the Rotary Club in Barre, Vt., inducted 38-year-old Judee Chatot-Travis.
Chatot-Travis has served as director of the Rotary-sponsored Barre Home Show for about five years. She also is vice president and co-owner of the North Barre Granite Co. Inc.
''I always knew the day would come when women would be accepted,'' she said.
Rotary clubs were now attracting high caliber business members – regardless of gender - throughout the country and the world.
The Court decision was an instrumental and important Civil Rights decision.
BUT, There is always room for improvement. While there are, now, 200,000 women members, this is only 18 %. of the approximately 1.2 million total members. Specifically, it is 15% Internationally and 22% in the US.
There is still much resistance in many Asian districts. Japan, for example has only 4% women members.
In 2001 52% of clubs had women members. This increased to 78% last year. BUT, that means that 22% of the Clubs do NOT have women members.
Ron Burton, President Elect of R.I., recently stated in the ROTARIAN that :
“ Unfortunately, in some parts of the world, there’s a lot of sexism. It’s been 26 years since ROTARY first opened the doors to women…. What’s wrong with that picture?”
Another illustration of the slow pace is the fact that our secondary motto was only recently updated. "He profits most who serves best" is now “One Profits Most who Serves Best” ,as of 2010.
On a more positive note, there are now 91 women District Governors.
TO REVIEW:
· The original constitution made no mention of gender, but it was implied to mean “men only”
· International efforts to include women began as early as 1912
· The constitution was changed in 1921 to explicitly restrict membership to men
· The Duarte, California club inducted two women in 1977
· R.I. revoked their charter in 1978
· A 10 year legal battle ensued resulting in the US Supreme Court stating that “women cannot be excluded”
· R.I. reacted fast and changed the Constitution
· The decision was a major news event and important civil rights advance
· 2013 is the 26th Anniversary of the Court decision
Thank you for your attention.