Welcome
This is information from Formation and the first partial year.
The inaugural club meeting was held on December 27, 1961. On December 29, 1961 the list of charter members was submitted.
The following is taken from the 1999 members directory history from 1961-1963
President - Richard F. Kilroy
Vice Pres - William C. Kilroy
Secretary - Ronald Tripp
Treasurer - Richard E. Jordan
Directors : Edwin L. Inness, Clyde Pierce, Maurice Viens, Warren Simpson
The idea of a Rotary Club in South Portland was first conceived by Bill Kilroy, President of the Rotary Club of Rumford, Maine in 1954. He enlisted the aid of his brother, Dick Kilroy, and on December 27, 1961, a meeting was held at Howard Johnson's Restaurant in Thornton Heights with the following twenty-one members in attendance:
| Al Baka | Earl Barrett | Dr. Jack Boland | Mel Charity |
| Al DiMatteo | Ed L Inness | Dan Gacetta | Dick Jordan |
| Bill Kilroy | Dick Kilroy | Bob Lamy | Clyde Pierce |
| Blaine Raymond | Dr. Paul Rieger | Allen Rowe Jr. | Ron Tripp |
| Warren Simpson | Don Skillings | Mark Stimson | Ted Wainwright |
| Joe Viens | Dick Yerxa |
Cost of the meal was $1.50. Annual dues were $25.
We were sponsored by the Rotary Club of Portland Club, and Ray Frost, one of their members was designated as our advisor. May Rowe, Allen's wife, supplied the drawings for TWO LIGHTS our weekly bulletin and Robert Stevens of the Rotary Club of Portland donated song books. Our Rotary banner made its first appearance on February 21.
On March 31 we celebrated Charter Night with a roast beef dinner at the South Portland High School Cafeteria with 300 in attendance. The cost was $3.50 each. Twenty three clubs sent gifts. The inspiring Rotary address was given by G. Arnold McArthur, Immediate Past District Governor from Shawinigan
Falls, Quebec, Canada. George W. Goodall, President of the Portland Club, gave the response.
On June 6 we had a monthly attendance of 99% and knocked Shawinigan Falls out of first place in the District 779 attendance standings. Noon luncheon meetings started on Wednesday, June 20 for the summer. Cost of meals increased to $2. Dan Gacetta brought in our first foreign exchange banner
from Rennes Nord, France.