Charter Members from GAB, June ’20: total 22 (22 men only); includes no Honorary members

Five months went by before the new Club received its official charter, granted February 18, 1920. The effective date of the Club’s charter, per RI records, is January 1, 1920. According to the GAB, conferring of the Charter was part of an “all-Rotary Week,” observed by the 600 clubs of the United States and Canada, on February 16th-20th, 1920. The RC of Salem’s group of “charter members” had grown by that time to these 22:
Charles R. Archard, Joseph Baumgartner, Charles P. Bishop, C.B. Clancey, Frank G. Deckebach, P.E. Fullerton, H.S. Gile, Walter T. Jenks, Thomas B. Kay, T.E. McCroskey, John H. McNary, Charles G. Miller, Charles W. Neimyer, J.C. Perry, Oscar E. Price, Fredrick W. Schmidt, Dr. B.L. Steeves, F.B. Thielsen, John W. Todd, Paul B. Wallace, William S. Walton, Harley O. White


The GAB continues: “One of the early projects of the newly chartered club was to have members visit the places of business of each other-one practical application of the Rotary spirit. It began its long career as “midwife” for new clubs with work to locate a Rotary Club in Albany. Attendance was emphasized and the records show copies of several letters to members, dropping them for non-attendance.
The list of projects supported by the Salem Club are proof of its diligence in community work. Boy’s work was one of its earliest undertakings. George L. Arbuckle, who became a member in 1920, soon became involved in this work and handled this assignment for many years.