Rotary 100 — First community service project

This is the latest in an occasional series of posts leading up to the centennial of the Glens Falls Rotary Club in April 2022.

The newly-formed Glens Falls Rotary Club in 1922 funded an expansion of the Glens Falls Boy Scout Band as the club’s first community service project.

“The Rotary Clubs throughout the country take a deep interest in boys and the local organization is no exception,” The Post-Star reported of the selection, announced at the club’s charter presentation meeting on June 1.

A few weeks later the club announced it would pay for music lessons for one year for beginning band members taking up the study of clarinet, trombone, bass horn or saxophone, and subsidize the purchase of instruments for needy families.

“Parents of boys have a golden opportunity to obtain for their sons a musical experience and training at little expense,” The Post-Star reported.

Families receiving assistance made a long-term commitment to musical study.

“Parents of Scout Band members are to be asked to sign an agreement that their boys will faithfully attend the band rehearsals and a weekly lesson for a period of one year. The boys will also be obliged to practice a stipulated number of minutes daily, and to play only music approved by the director.”

Rotary Club members viewed music as a character builder.

“Not only is a knowledge (of music) a source of pleasure, but it adds much to one’s prestige. It is often a valuable financial asset, and those who deal with delinquent boys testify that comparatively few boys that are interested in music get into trouble.”

Click here to read the most recent previous post in the series.