In 1924, a men’s social club, known as the “Abington Men’s Club” was created. In 1928 they were approached by members of the Scranton Rotary Club seeking to convert their men’s club into an official Rotary club. A meeting was agreed upon and 5 interested men met with 2 members of the Scranton Rotary in the medical office of Dr. H. Eugene Simrell in Clarks Summit. After the meeting, the Men’s Club agreed to form a new chapter of Rotary International. A week later, on February 14, 1928, the first  gathering of the new club was held in Herman Cole’s Funeral Home, located on State Street in Clarks Summit. It was presided over by Col. Ezra H. Ripple, Jr.  
 
The first club officers were:
President - Howard Isby, a local druggist and owner of Isby Pharmacy;
Vice President - Dr. H. Eugene Simrell, a prominent physician;
Secretary – Loyal Bunnell, Owner of Bunnell’s Hardware Store;
Treasurer – George Sharps, a local banker; and,
Directors - Ward Parker, an insurance executive, and Dr. Thomas Rutherford 
 
Rotary officially chartered the Clarks Summit Rotary Club on March 6, 1929, which celebrated charter night March 21 at the Clarks Summit Presbyterian Church with 183 persons in attendance. Their first actual Rotary meeting was held at the Abington Women’s Club building on the 400 block of School Street in Clarks Summit. 

 

(Printed with permission from Roger Mattes, PDG)