Records of the Rotary Club of Oberlin document the community service activities of that group from 1938-2006, including its involvement in scouting, educational scholarships, and exchange programs, and its participation in worldwide service activities of Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation.  The collection is organized in eleven series: 1. Constitution and By-laws; 2. Minutes; 3. Correspondence; 4. Financial Records; 5. Membership; 6. Service Activities; 7. Programs; 8. Publications; 9. Reports;10. Historical File; 11. Photographs.

Series 1. Constitution and By-laws, 1948, 1958, 1984-85, 1994, 2005, n.d. (2f)

            Consists of one printed copy of the constitution as passed by Rotary International in 1922 and several undated, typescript versions of the by-laws and amendments to the by-laws.  Arranged chronologically, with the constitution filed first.

Series 2. Minutes, 1939-40, 1943-44, 1948-50, 1954, 1963, 1965, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1989-90, 1993-98, n.d. (4f)

            Minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors, regular club meetings, joint meetings with other organizations, and district-wide Rotary meetings.  Attendance records (see Series 5) for 1940 are glued to the directors meetings minutes for 1939 and so are filed here.  Subjects covered include use of club funds, service activities, membership proposals, and cooperative efforts with other organizations.  Arranged chronologically within each type of meeting.

Series 3. Correspondence, 1941-42, 1947-48, 1952-68, 1975, 1978-79, 1982, 1989, 1998-99, n.d. (2f)

           Correspondence with Rotary Club members, other Rotary Clubs, and other service organizations regarding service activities and membership status.  Arranged chronologically.

Series 4. Financial Records, 1947-49, 1951-2001, n.d. (4f)

            Club financial documents include budgets, auditing committee statements, letters documenting gifts received and given, and annual financial statements.  Arranged chronologically.

Series 5. Membership, 1949-2006 [span], n.d. (4f and 1 box index cards)

            Records of attendance at meetings.  The 1940 record was glued to the 1939 directors meetings minutes and is filed in Series 2.  Also includes rosters of members, directories, and proposals (nominations) for new members.  Arranged chronologically. The series continues in Box 4 where membership cards, alphabetized A-Z, are housed.

Series 6. Service Activities, 1955-56, 1960-62, 1967, 1978-79, 1981, 1993-98, n.d. (9f)

            Correspondence and reports relating to service activities of the Rotary Club of Oberlin, including Boy Scouts, crippled children's programs, educational exchange and scholarships, a music therapy project, and a joint project with the Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization.  Arranged alphabetically by project.

Series 7. Programs, 1954, 1956, 1960, 1979-81, 1988, 1993-95, 1997-98, 2001 (4f)

            Programs for a variety of conferences and meetings and for the Rotary Club of Oberlin's Golden Anniversary celebration.  This series also contains a general pamphlet and brochure folder. Arranged chronologically.

Series 8. Publications, 1938, 1952, 1956-61, 1964-65, 1973-90, 1993-2003, n.d. (9f)

            Calendars, newsletters, and "Pictorial Memories of Oberlin," published by the Rotary Club of Oberlin, as well as miscellaneous pamphlets, brochures, and reports published by the Rotary Foundation and Rotary International.

Series 9. Reports, 1985-2001

            Reports made by the Rotary Club of Oberlin to Rotary International between 1985 and 2001.

Series 10. Historical File, 1938, 1960, 1974-85, 1988, n.d. (3f)

            Miscellaneous clippings and memorabilia relating to the Rotary Club of Oberlin, including one guest book.  Two items were removed to RG 45/2 (Miscellaneous Manuscripts - Oversized):  "Objects of Rotary" and a "Resolution by the Ohio State Senate to Recognize the 50th Anniversary of the Oberlin Rotary Club."  Arranged chronologically within each document type.

Series 11. Photographs, c. 1950's-80's, 2002-03 (2f)

Records of the Rotary Club of Oberlin were received in one lot from Richard J. Hetsko, Oberlin, on August 22, 1988, through Rose Wolf, director of the Oberlin Public Library, following conversations with the College Archivist.  Most of the documents were glued into two large scrapbooks. For preservation purposes, these were disassembled as much as possible without damaging the documents.  Individual items were placed in acid-free folders in the appropriate series.  Additional publications have been added since 1988.

See the Miscellaneous Manuscripts Record Group (RG 45/2) for two removed items: “Objects of Rotary” and “Resolution by the Ohio State Senate to Recognize the 50th Anniversary of the Oberlin Rotary Club.”