Early in September 1937, the community service committee headed by its chairman, Phil Ott, appeared before the city council with a request that a park board be established to outline a park system project for the city. The committee offered the assistance of the Rotary club in the development work after a park commission had been named. Ernest Ferry, Rotary President, was named chairman of the Kent Recreation Commission in February 1938. The recreation program, a WPA project was fostered by the Rotary club in 1936.
At a January meeting in 1938, Luke Sewell, the Chicago White Sox catcher was the speaker and explained the intricacies of the club-player relationship with regard to contracts and discuss some of the leading players of the national game, particularly Babe Ruth and Bob Feller.
Also that year, Rotary International redistricted the United States and Kent was to be in a new district, number 158. Prior to that we had been in district 10 when we were chartered and moved to district 21 in 1923. As a follow up, since then our district number has been 229, 663 and for the last 30 years, District 6630.
Another history moment.
Jim Myers
