The Rotary Club of Newnan is celebrating its 100th year of service. On February 29, the club hosted its Century Gala, an evening filled with music, bar, dancing, delicious food and inspiring speeches. The semi-formal event offers the opportunity to mingle with community leaders, fellow Rotarians and special guest speakers. A live auction featured several unique items with all proceeds going towards supporting local initiatives and charitable work.

Rotary Club President Kevin Barbee commented, “I am very honored to have been selected as President during the Rotary Club’s Centennial year, The legacy of this club serving the community reaches far and wide. It truly models the Rotary motto of Service Above Self. I am excited that we can share this time with so many who have given their time as Rotarians."

The Rotary Club of Newnan was granted its charter on Feb. 29, 1924, under the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of West Point. Charter members included Henry Arnall, Jr., Rufus Askew, Woodie Barr, Percy Bramnblett, Walter Boone, Guy Cole, Chauncey Durden, Myron Farmer, Tom Farmer, Tom Fisher, Tom Goodrum, Tom Parrott, Lewis Hill, Joe Hollis, Cliff Kersey, J Red King, Dan Manget, Robert Mann and Garnet Reynolds. From these members, the following officers were elected: Tom G. Farmer Jr. - president, Dan T. Manget - vice president, B. Cliff Kersey - secretary/ treasurer, Robert S. Mann - assistant secretary and Tom S. Parrott - sergeant-at-arms. The club set its meeting day as Friday at noon, and the meeting place as the Virginia Hotel.

Tom Parrott suggested the name “Peptarian’ for the weekly bulletin, which has been issued weekly since the first meeting. In 1953, the meeting place was changed to the Newnan Country Club, but the time and day have remained the same for all these years.

When the Newnan club was chartered, there were 41 Districts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Cuba. The few clubs operating outside the North American continent were non-district clubs.Activity in Rotary was gaining popularity in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. But these clubs operated as the Rotary International Association of Great Britain and Ireland.The Newnan club was one of 47 clubs in District 39, composed of the entire states of Georgia and Florida. The District Governor was S. Kendrick Guernsey of Orlando, Fla., who later became president of Rotary International.The international president at the time the club received the charter was Guy Gundaker of Philadelphia, Penn., and there were 1,778 clubs in 24 countries worldwide, with 99,700 members. Today, the club is one of 69 clubs in District 6900, which comprises the western part of Georgia.

The club features members of the club's second, third, and fourth generations of charter members on its roster today. Garnet Reynolds is a fourth-generation member, and fifth-generation member, Kirby Arnall Jr., traces his line through Henry Arnall, Hamilton Arnall, Sr., Guy Arnall, and Kirby Arnall.Women joined the Newnan Rotary Club for the first time in 1991 when Joe MacNabb sponsored Lynn Smith for membership. Rotary had its first husband and wife team when Richard Brooks joined his wife Donna in the Newnan Rotary Club in 1995.

The Rotary Club has touched the community in many ways, including:

• It sponsors and produces the July 4th fireworks celebration at Newnan High School for the community, along with the annual Tour of Coweta bike ride in April.The Tour of Coweta cycling raises funds for the club to perform its various service projects, scholarships and non-profit grant programs.
• For Memorial Day, the Newnan Rotary Club installs its annual service project, remembering and honoring those killed in action from Coweta County. Approximately 110 crosses, placed throughout the downtown Newnan area, feature the names of local fallen soldiers, spanning from World War I to present day.
• For many years the club has annually awarded the Rotary Cup Scholarship to the most outstanding members of the graduating class of Newnan High School, East Coweta High School, Northgate, Trinity Christian School, Central Christian School, and The Heritage School. The Rotary Cup Scholarship has been awarded since the 1930s. It is one of the most prestigious awards for a graduating senior as those selected to meet the leadership, citizenship and scholarship criteria, with the winner being selected by their school's faculty. Winners receive a silver engraved Rotary Cup trophy along with a monetary award.
• The Rotary Club of Newnan also sponsors two Interact Clubs in Coweta - Newnan High School and East Coweta High School. Interact is a partner of Rotary International for students who uphold the mission of Rotary – provide service to others, promote integrity and advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders. By joining Interact, members are uniting with more than 342,000 young people in 145 different countries and geographic areas that belong to over 14,911 Interact Clubs around the world., The Newnan High School Club is a five-year nationally recognized Presidential Citation award winning club.