Rotary District 7670
(Western North Carolina)
District Newsletter Archive
Rotary in North Carolina
North Carolina’s first club was formed in Raleigh on August 1, 1914, becoming the 124th club in the world. The Wilmington club, the state’s second, was organized on April 1, 1915, making it Rotary International’s 150th club. Nearly all the 262 North Carolina clubs are descendants of the Raleigh, Wilmington, or Richmond (VA) clubs.
Mountains of Western NC
Rotary began organizing into districts (first called “divisions”) in 1912. Each division was governed by a “Representative.” The title of “District Governor” began in 1926. North Carolina’s earliest clubs (1915-18) were in District 4, which included the southeastern part of the USA south of Washington, DC and Maryland. In 1918, the Rotary clubs of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia were grouped together to form District 7.
In 1922, the number of clubs organized in NC was sufficient to form Districts 37 and 38 (Western NC) within the state, and in 1926 the districts were renumbered to become Districts 57 and 58 (Western NC). Enough clubs existed in the piedmont and eastern areas of NC in 1937 to form the four districts of 187, 188, 189, and 190 (Western NC). In 1939 the districts were reconfigured with Western NC still in District 190. In 1940 the four districts were reconfigured to form three districts: 188, 189, and 190. In 1946, the three NC districts were renumbered and reconfigured to form the four districts of 188, 189, 191, and 194 (Western NC). In 1949 the four NC districts were renumbered to 278, 279, 280 (Western NC), and 281. In 1957 the four districts were renumbered yet again to form districts 767 (Western NC), 769, 771, and 773. In 1991, the districts were renumbered by adding a zero (0) to each: 7670 (Western NC), 7690, 7710, and 7730 – this was done around the Rotary world. In 1992, two new districts were formed from the four districts, and today, North Carolina boasts six districts which include 7670, 7680, 7690, 7710, 7720, and 7730.
Old District 7670 was divided on July 1, 1992, and ten clubs in old District 7690 joined with 29 clubs from our old District 7670 to form the new District 7680. Those 29 clubs which left our old District 7670 were in the following counties: Alexander, Allegheny, Ashe, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Mecklenburg, and Wilkes (Allegheny County did not have a Rotary club).
PAST DISTRICT LEADERSHIP
At the 1915 Rotary Convention, it was decided to reclassify the nineteen regional Divisions then in existence as Districts and change the title of the officer in charge from Vice-President to District Governor. Coincidentally, this was also the year the first club in Western North Carolina was chartered, and marks the beginning of what has now become District 7670. The following is a list of District Governors who have served this region since 1915, including several who later went on to serve Rotary International.
District 4
1915-16 David P. Siles Roanoke, VA
1916-17 Thomas B. McAdams Richmond, VA
1917-18 Thomas B. McAdams Richmond, VA
District 7-(North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia)
1918-19 Howard E. Rondthaler Winston- Salem
1919-20 Roger W. Davis Charlotte
1920-21 Lewis W. Perrin Spartanburg, SC
1921-22 Joseph A. Turner Roanoke, VA
District 38-(Western North Carolina and South Carolina)
1922-23 Carroll H. Jones Columbia, SC
1923-24 Paul W. Schenck Greensboro, NC
1924-25 G. H. Mahon, Jr. Greeenville, SC
1925-26 Fred Kent Asheville
District 58-(Western North Carolina and South Carolina)
1926-27 Zaccheus F. Wright Newberry, SC
1927-28 David Clark* Charlotte
1928-29 William Way Charleston, SC
1929-30 Ernest L. Whithers Waynesville
1930-31 Jefferson Boon Aiken Florence, SC
1931-32 H. Brent Schaeffer Hickory
1932-33 Roy Z.Thomas Rock Hill, SC
1933-34 Robert F. Phillips* Asheville
1934-35 John W. Arrington, Jr. Greenville
1935-36 George M. Ivey Charlotte
1936-37 Samuel B. Earle Anderson, SC
District 190-(Fourteen Clubs in Western North Carolina and South Carolina)
1937-38 Guy L. Houk Franklin
1938-39 T. Wilbur Thornhill Charleston, SC
1939-40 J. R. Sandifer* Hendersonville
1940-41 Hiram T. Hunter Sylva
1942-43 C. Sylvester Green Hartsville, SC
1943-44 Charles G. Tennent *** Asheville
1945-46 Stanley W. Black Bryson City
1944-45 William H. Shaw Sumter, SC
1945-46 Stanley W. Black Bryson City, NC
District 194-(Western North Carolina, January 1, 1946 )
1946-47 Holt McPherson Shelby
1947-48 Macon Williams Lenoir
1948-49 Everett Bierman Charlotte
District 280
(Western North Carolina)
1949-50 Jason Dayton Spruce Pine
1950-51 Walter Nau Hickory
1951-52 Chandler W. Gordon* Asheville
1951-52 Malcolm Williamson Waynesville
1952-53 John Paul Lucas Charlotte
1953-54 Tom Lambeth* Statesville
1954-55 Ernest W. Ross Marion
1955-56 Kelly Bennett Bryson City
1956-57 Stanley A. Harris, Sr. Boone
District 767
1957-58 Clarence M. Abernethy Lenoir
1958-59 Gordon L. Butler Andrews
1959-60 C.W. (Pat) Gilchrist Charlotte
1960-61 Russell Hanson Statesville
1961-62 Holland McSwain Murphy
1962-63 Jones Y. Pharr, Jr. Dilworth
1963-64 Archie W. Shuford Hickory
1964-65 O. Ted Kirby Charlotte-North
1965-66 Charles W. Porter Lenoir
1966-67 James B. Garland Gastonia
1967-68 Nicholas Semashko, Jr. Hendersonville
1968-69 Charles A. Hunter Charlotte
1969-70 Jesse P. Chapman, Jr. Asheville
1970-71 Charles M. Grier Charlotte-North
1971-72 David R. LaFar, III Gastonia
1972-73 Joseph W. Wells Tryon
1973-74 Ernest S. Stevens Highlands
1974-75 C.S. Brown, Jr. Franklin
1975-76 Zane M. Moore Charlotte
1976-77 E. Conley Bost Marion
1977-78 William H. Haggard Asheville
1978-79 John F. Sinnett Newton-Conover
1979-80 Peter H. Gerns Charlotte-North
1980-81 John K. Abernathy Black Mountain
1981-82 Guy V. Bailey Granite Falls
1982-83 S. Aaron Hyatt** Sylva
1983-84 Donald Mackay Charlotte-North
1984-85 Paul Helms Monroe
1985-86 S.C. (Mark) Markanda Charlotte-East
1986-87 Joe D. Moore Charlotte
1987-88 Paul Haberland Sylva
1988-89 Fred H. Niehoff, Jr. Hendersonville
1989-90 Ray Garrison (Gary) Corne Newton-Conover
1990-91 Richard D. Howe Boone
District 7670
1991-92 Fred Barnes Lenoir
1992-93 Arthur K. Brintnall Black Mountain
1993-94 J.R. Mabe Marion
1994-95 W.H. (Hamp) Shuford, III Catawba Valley (Conover)
1995-96 W.R. (Tony) Baker Asheville-West
1996-97 Richard D. Howe Boone
1997-98 C.G. (Jerry) Chambers Highlands
1998-99 George W. (Bill) Armfield Lenoir
1999-00 Dean Kanipe Marion
2000-01 Harry Brogden Lincolnton
2001-02 Dennis Sanders Franklin
2002-03 David Burrell Haywood County
2003-04 Chuck Reiley Asheville
2004-05 Jim Efland Asheville
2005-06 Chuck Troutman Lenoir
2006-07 James Aydelotte Valdese
2007-08 William Shillito Catawba Valley
2008-09 David Sink, Jr. Hendersonville
2009-10 Carol L. King Asheville
2010-11 Ed Walcoff Asheville-West
2011-12 William Parker Blowing Rock
* Served as Director of Rotary International
** Served as General Secretary, RI and
…………… Director, RI
*** Served as President of Rotary International 1957-58
