Meeting Info

Tuesday mornings beginning at 7 a.m. at the Whitby Public Library

A continental breakfast prepared by Presse Café is enjoyed by the members followed by announcements, the friendly Sergeant-at-Arms fining fun, and a speaker presenting a topic of interest - VISITORS MOST WELCOME!.

Whitby Central Library – 405 Dundas Street West

Library Entrance from Colborne Street

Meeting History

In the beginning, the Rotary Club of Whitby met for lunch on Tuesdays. Its very first meeting on February 16, 1933 was held in the Royal Hotel on Brock Street North to be followed two weeks later by a meeting held at the Whitby Hotel on Dundas Street West where Rotary remained for many years.

Royal Hotel, Brock Street North, Whitby

Whitby Hotel, Dundas Street West, Whitby

In the early 1990’s, in feeling the need to change with the times and meet the time availability of the new commuter population in town, Whitby Rotary changed to a morning meeting. Ironically, this change now meant that there were two Rotary Clubs in Whitby with early morning meetings. On February 2, 1988, the Rotary Club of Whitby had sponsored a new club, the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise to meet in the morning to address this need of the new commuter community. However, this meeting time became so popular that the original Rotary Club of Whitby decided it had to change with the times, too.

At the time of the writing of this brief Whitby Rotary Club meeting history in April, 2010, Whitby Rotary members still meet for a 7 a.m. breakfast meeting, at the new Whitby Public Library on Dundas Street West. This location is very appropriate as, for a special project to celebrate the Rotary movement’s 100th anniversary in 2005, the Club undertook to donate $100,000 to the new library. The meeting arrangement with the Library has been confirmed for a ten-year period.

Outside the library on the Colborne Street or south side in the garden area is Wilkinson Way where the names of all the Club's Presidents are each cast in a stone in a walkway. A monument with the Rotary wheel crest and appropriate wording commemorates the Rotary movement's 100th anniversary in 2005.

Each year a Rotarian is selected to be the President of Rotary International which encompasses all the clubs around the world and has its headquarters in Evanston, Illinois. Along Wilkinson Way, a second monument celebrates one such Rotarian from Trenton, Ontario, Wilfrid Wilkinson, who had the honour of serving as the President of Rotary International from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008, the first Canadian International President in over 50 years, the last being Arthur Laguieux from Quebec City in 1950-1951. The Whitby Club sought to honour Mr. Wilkinson for his over 40 years of service and dedication to the Rotary movement in many capacities. The Rotary way has been, and continues to be, a 'way of life' for Wilf Wilkinson even following his very busy year as International President!