InFocus Magazine

Naomi Carmichael, Deb Nolan, Holly Grant and Lynn Brandon are dressed in black waistcoats and top hats, circa 1905.  Fake moustaches and beards are haphazardly pasted on the women’s faces and they are trying valiantly not to laugh.

It is a sunny evening in late June, 2011.  A crowd of more than 100 Courtenay Rotary Club members and guests are in attendance at their Annual Installation Dinner at the Westerly Hotel.  They roar with laughter as the women in black do their best to stage a reenactment of the very first Rotary Club meeting that was held in Chicago 106 years ago.

One by one, the ‘actors’ rise from their chairs and pretend to gaze into a ‘crystal ball’ in the middle of their table.  They ‘smoke’ fake cigars and make off-the-cuff comments as they pretend to foresee the future of Rotary—one that did not include women members amongst their ranks.

The Courtenay Rotary Club was gathered for the installation ceremony of its 2011/2012 executive, directors and officers, and to celebrate the start of its 75th year.  The comical skit served two purposes:  it is a traditional part of this club’s installation ceremony and was also a way to have some fun while celebrating a very important Rotary International (RI) historical milestone—the 25th anniversary of women in Rotary.

These particular women are performing in the skit not because of their acting abilities—that is quite obvious—but because they are all incoming presidents for the four Rotary Clubs in the Comox Valley: Carmichael represents the Courtenay Rotary Club, Grant is the new head of the Comox Club, Brandon is with Strathcona Sunrise, and Nolan now leads Cumberland Centennial. (See story next page.)

They end their parody with a flourish, shedding their waistcoats to reveal black T-shirts emblazoned with the word ‘Rotary’ in sparkling rhinestones. They sing and dance in a not-so-perfectly choreographed chorus-line style to the strains of the song Now is the Time.  The crowd gives a standing ovation and heartily applauds them for their efforts.

This skit will be re-enacted three more times, at the installation ceremonies for the other three Comox Valley Rotary Clubs.  And, despite the jovial nature of their performances, these four women know that their roles as presidents of their respective clubs carry tremendous responsibility. They are all embarking on what will be one of the most important years of their lives.  This may be the 25th anniversary of women in Rotary International but, coincidentally, it is also the first year in the entire history of Rotary in the Comox Valley that the presidents of all four clubs will be of the female persuasion. It is a very big deal!

Today, many of us take gender-rights for granted.  But as Rotarians celebrate this milestone event, we must acknowledge that women’s ‘right to join Rotary’ was a decades-long effort of both men and women campaigning for gender equality worldwide.  The first documented effort was in 1950, when an enactment to delete the word ‘male’ from the Standard Rotary Club Constitution was processed by a club in India.  From 1950 to 1989, the RI Council considered a total of 13 proposals to allow women to join.

Despite the fact that they could not be Rotary members, women have played an important role in the organization from its early years.  Prior to 1987, wives of Rotary members were called ‘Rotary Anns.’ This designation was never one of disparagement, but rather grew out of an interesting historical occasion, as explained in this excerpt from an article published by the Rotary Global History Fellowship:

“In 1914, when San Francisco Rotarians boarded a special train to attend the Rotary Convention being held in Houston, Texas, few wives attended Rotary events. When the train stopped in Los Angeles, the only woman aboard was the wife of Rotarian Bru Brunnier.

”As the train picked up additional convention-bound delegates, Mrs. Ann Brunnier was introduced as the ‘Rotarian’s Ann.’ This was soon shortened to ‘Rotary Ann’.  Upon the train’s arrival at the Houston depot, a delegation greeted the West Coast Rotarians. One of the greeters was Guy Gundaker of Philadelphia, whose wife was also named Ann. The same term of endearment was then used for all of the wives in attendance and the name ‘Rotary Ann’ was here to stay.”

The first official Rotary Ann Auxiliary Organization was formed in Oklahoma City in 1928 and its acceptance spread to thousands of clubs throughout the world.  One of the purposes of a Rotary Ann Club was to bring the families of the members of Rotary into fellowship.  Other objectives included assisting Rotarians in the execution of various club and community projects, and upholding the purposes and aims of Rotary.

A Rotary Ann group was started in Courtenay in the 1930s and all Rotary wives were invited to join (and most did). Comox Valley resident Margaret Gansner became involved in 1962, when her husband, John Gansner, became a member of the Courtenay Rotary Club that same year.  Forty-nine years later, he is proud to still be a member of this worthy organization but Mrs. Gansner is no longer a Rotary Ann.  Here’s why:

In 1977, the Rotary Club of Duarte, California, made the bold decision to admit women as members. This was in direct violation of the RI and the Standard Rotary Club Constitutions. Because of this violation, the club’s membership in RI was terminated in 1978.  The ensuing litigation proceedings lasted years.  On May 4, 1987, the US Supreme Court declared Rotary could not exclude women on the basis of gender. Even though the ‘official’ approval from RI would not come for a couple more years, women’s names soon began appearing on membership rosters almost everywhere.

In 1989, the RI’s Council on Legislation officially voted in favor of admitting women as Rotary members. This was a watershed moment in the organization’s history.  It is interesting to note that, although a majority vote was achieved, there were 328 votes in favor of allowing women and 117 against.

“When women were [legally] permitted to join Rotary in 1987, Rotary Anns were left wondering what our role would be,” recalls Margaret Gansner with a touch of remorse.  “We considered inviting the husbands to join us and call the group ‘Rotary Anns and Andys.’  But we eventually came to the conclusion that we were obsolete and thus dissolved.  The friendships formed through Rotary Anns, however, have been enduring and we take pride in the fact that we made so many worthwhile contributions in our time.”

“The general attitude here in the Comox Valley prior to the 1989 US Supreme Court decision was one of acceptance of Rotary as a ‘Men’s Club’ in much the same way as Soroptomist’s International was considered to be a ‘Women’s Club,’ explains John Gansner.  “There was no issue.”

Gansner recalled that when the Supreme Court decision was handed down in 1987, followed by RI’s vote in 1989, there was considerable dismay within the ranks of Rotarians locally.  A few Comox Valley members actually resigned.

“Looking back over the 25 years since the decision, however, much has changed and women are now welcome members of the group and have become essential to its function,” he adds.  “While most of the local club expansions occurred prior to their entry, their inclusion has kept RI membership and our local clubs relatively stable, at a time when many other service clubs have had difficulty sustaining members.

“There can be no question that RI’s 1989 decision was the correct one for the Association, for Rotary Clubs internationally, and the Rotary Clubs of the Comox Valley,” concludes Gansner.  “As a result, we have been able to maintain our international, community and vocational services without interruption.  After all, these functions, along with friendship, comprise the purpose of Rotary.”

Today, while a high percentage of Rotarians are men, there are well over 200,000 women in Rotary worldwide.  While these women recognize and appreciate the contributions of the Rotary Anns that blazed trails before them, and the Rotary spouses who currently support various initiatives, they are proud of the fact that, when it comes to the leadership of their respective clubs, they can stand beside, not behind, their ‘men.’

The Strathcona Sunrise’s Club new president, Lynn Brandon, grew up in the Comox Valley but joined her first Rotary Club while living in Prince Edward Island.  She became a charter (founding) member of the Stratford Rotary Club in 2002.  When she and her family moved back to Vancouver Island in 2005, finding a new Rotary Club was a top priority.

“I decided to join the Strathcona Sunrise Club because the timing of their meeting best suited my schedule,” explains Brandon.  “I was privileged to take on a position on the board of directors and now look forward to serving my fellow Rotarians and the community as club president.”

An individual’s anniversary of joining a Rotary Club is always celebrated, but most Rotarians will tell you that there is usually a pivotal moment where they feel they have become a true Rotarian.

“For me, that moment came in 2010, when I was at the RI Convention in Montreal,” explains Brandon. “As I looked around the stadium filled with 20,000 other Rotarians from around the world, I realized the inclusivity and the tremendous potential of Rotary.  We are all just people—gender, race and religion simply do not factor into it—and we are working for a common purpose: to simply do good in the world.”

Naomi Carmichael joined the Courtenay Rotary Club in 2005, and feels that she truly became a Rotarian soon after.  “I knew almost immediately that being involved with this organization would be life-changing for me,” explains Carmichael.  “That summer, while at a Rotary work bee to paint the gazebo at the Courtenay Air Park, I took a moment to step back and quietly observe as my husband and kids, along with other Rotarians and their families, worked and laughed and made a difference in our community. I was overwhelmed with emotion because this sense of fellowship, the sharing, and cooperation I was seeing was what it is all about.”

Carmichael admits to being a little intimidated when she first joined Rotary but soon felt right at home.  “I have worked hard to earn the respect of our members and I feel that I am not looked at as a woman but rather simply a Rotarian,” she says.

Deborah Nolan was never a Rotary Ann but she has many years of experience as the spouse of a Rotarian. Her husband, Bayne Mann, has been a member of the Strathcona Sunrise Club for 24 years.  In 2006, when the Cumberland Centennial Club was being formed, Nolan’s husband encouraged her to step forward as a charter member.

Nolan is excited about the opportunity to serve as club president in the coming year and is grateful that she has a tight-knit and enthusiastic group of fellow members to back her up.  “I enjoy being a Rotarian because I feel like I am making a difference,” says Nolan. “Whether it is a small local initiative or a huge international project, Rotary makes it possible for one person’s dream or ambition to become reality.”

Holly Grant also has years of familiarity as a Rotary spouse.  She, along with her husband Tom and their three children, moved to the Comox Valley from Ontario 1992.  Tom was soon invited to join the Comox Club.  In 2006, Holly was also invited to join.

“The timing was finally right for me to get involved,” explains Grant.  “Our children were old enough to be on their own on Thursday nights and, considering that I had attended so many Comox Rotary Club events over the years with Tom, I knew this was the right group for me.

“Being a Rotarian brings me great personal fulfillment,” adds Grant. “It is wonderful to be able to do something solely for the pleasure of providing service to others.  Having fun and building friendships is also a big part of it.  It is my privilege to serve the as president of the Comox Rotary Club and I consider it the highest compliment that they have put their trust in me.”

Recent research conducted by Rotary International showed that, despite 25 years of women actively participating in the organization, the stereotype still exists that Rotary is an older gentlemen’s club.

These four Comox Valley women want you to know that Rotary does have a softer side.  The membership roster for any club truly represents a cross section of business people; all cultural, race, religious, age, and gender barriers have been removed.  Rotary is not about men—or women—it is simply about people giving back to the community.

Something to Sing About!

Helen Austin is a singer/songwriter from the UK now living in the Comox Valley. She was recently asked to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of women in Rotary by writing a song about it. You can listen to the lyrics and watch the story unfold in photographs on YouTube. Type ‘Women in Rotary’ in the search engine and sing along!  For more information on this talented award-winning artist, visit www.helenaustin.com.