For many years after the Winston-Salem Rotary Club was founded in 1915, there were no other Rotary clubs in Winston-Salem. In later years the presidents of the Downtown Rotary were subjected to cajolery by either the district governor or by their counterparts from other clubs in the district. This invariably happened at a district conference, where the prevailing question was "Why haven't you started another club in Winston-Salem?"

In June 1967, president-elect Jim Gray attended the district conference prepared to listen to any argument that would probably arise about forming a second club in Winston-Salem.

One of the keynote speakers, Marion Follin, was a former member of the Winston-Salem Club and a long time friend of Jim Gray. Mr Follin was now active at the district level as a liaison between clubs wishing to sponsor a new club and the district governor and Rotary International.