Paul P. Harris called a meeting of three business acquaintances in downtown Chicago, United States. The date was February 23, 1905, and the meetings were what became the Rotary Club.

The name Rotary was given because the founding members initially rotated weekly club meetings to each other’s offices. Before long the Chicago club grew so large it became necessary to adopt a regular meeting place.

After the establishment of a further four Rotary clubs, The National Association of Rotary Clubs in America was formed in 1910.

The organisation grew further that year when on November 3, a Rotary club began meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - signalling the start of their internationality.

The first Rotary club outside North America to receive its charter from the association came in August 1912 with the Rotary Club of London.

In 1918 the Rotary Club of Southampton had begun and in the years that followed a plethora of other Rotary clubs were formed across the county.