If you have been a Rotarian for awhile, you probably already know singing in Rotary is a long standing tradition. Harry Ruggles, a Chicago printer and Rotary member #5, detested off-color language, malicious innuendo and classless humor and argued in club meetings for clean language. When the speaker at an evening meeting in 1906 began telling a story Harry had heard and knew the off-color ending was not appropriate for the club he had helped form, he jumped up in the middle of the joke and yelled, "C’mon boys, let’s sing!" then led the club in a boisterous rendition of "Let Me Call You Sweetheart!"Not only was this the first time Rotarians had ever sung together, it was apparently, the first time a group of businessmen had ever sung together in a meeting of any kind! Harry Ruggles apologized to the embarrassed speaker but from that point on, it was decided all subsequent Rotary meetings should be conducted so any woman could attend without being embarrassed. This has been the unwritten rule ever since, just as the tradition of singing has endured.
You can be certain there will be lots of music at the Utah Rotary District Conference, May 13-15, 2010 in St. George, including a performance by the soon-to-be world-renowned Dixie Rotary Choir made up of members of the five southern Utah Rotary clubs (Cedar City, St. George, Dixie Sunrise, Red Rock and Hurricane). You won’t want to miss a single note!!!
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