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Utica-Shelby Township Rotary Club

45125 Mound Road, Shelby township, MI. 48315
586.482-1739

Rotary Club of Utica-Shelby

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Utica-Shelby Township Rotary Club
Editor: Curell, John







The Utica/Shelby Club was chartered on June 11, 1929, in the old 23 rd District as the Utica Rotary Club. Shelby Township was added to the name later as Shelby became a chartered township. The District Governor, Richard Hedke, and Ward McCaully of Detroit were present to assist in the delivery of Rotary's newest addition. The sponsor club of Ferndale Rotary also had three members present to see we got off to a solid start.

Clinton Valley Country Club was the scene of the charter presentation that following September, and the three hundred Rotarians of the 23 rd District were in attendance to stimulate the early success of the club. It was founded by fifteen charter members.


Utica/Shelby Rotary Club has supported the growth and leadership of Rotary with a past district Governor Lloyd Hirth and the sponsorship of two other Rotary clubs, Troy and Sterling Heights. Present member John D. Curell is Assistant District Governor for sector nine.


Meeting places have varied from restaurants to Trinity Lutheran Church (Forty Four years of its history) and back to a restaurant as it converted from a dinner to a luncheon club.

Through the years membership has fluctuated between the original fifteen members to a high of Forty Seven with a present size of twenty active members. Though smaller in numbers Utica/Shelby Twp. Rotary Club is consistently among the leaders in per capita giving to the Rotary Foundation each year. The main emphasis being Polio Plus the past few years as we fully support the eradication of polio around the world. The Jibor Limb project in India being the latest other World project the club has participated in. In addition many local and community charities have been the beneficiaries of its generosity.


Utica was once known as the Rhubarb Capital of the World and the Rotary Club worked at the Rhubarb Festival to raise money for its charities. As homes replaced fields of rhubarb many different things have been tried as fund raisers with much success. The latest main fund raisers being an annual Golf Outing and an annual Think Spring Raffle.

Every week finds a very interesting speaker at Rotary to keep its membership up on local and community happenings as well as District and Rotary International updates.

Socially finds the club doing various events each year with the Presidents Party highlighting the social calendar at the end of each President's year.