Club History

CHARTER MEMBERS OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF CUTTACK

Rotary Club of Cuttack was organized on the 4th September 1945. It was admitted to membership in Rotary international on the 4th December same year.
Cuttack was then a part of Rotary District No. 90. Rotary came to India in 1919 and the first club was the Rotary Club of Calcutta. Prior to the coming of the Rotary Club of Cuttack, there had been only six clubs in the District 90. The Six Clubs were (1) Asansol, (2) Calcutta, (3) Dacca, (4) Jamshedpur (5) Jabalpur and (6) Patna. Cuttack became the 7th club. In the reorganized District 326, Jamshedpur was the senior most followed by Jabalpur and then Patna, Cuttack occupied the fourth place in order of the year of organization. Later is Dist. 3260 Rotary of Cuttack become the second first being Rotary Club of Jabalpur.
In 1945, Sri Nitish C. Lahirry was the Governor of District 90. He was member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta, which sponsored the Cuttack Rotary Club. The Governor's special Representative for extension was Mr. Bernard Kaiser of Calcutta.

It will be interesting to know the names and classification of the charter members. The list is given below:-

NAME	CLASSIFICATION
B.K.Gokhle, C.LE.,I.C.S.	Provincial Administration
Col O' Morchoe	Public Defence - Land
A.H. Kemp, I.C.S.	Planning and Development
Lingaraj Panigrahi, M.B.E.	Criminal Law Practice
Harihar Mohapatra	Civil Law Practice
R.P. Ward, I.C.S.	Provincial Government - Revenue Administration.
Rai Bahadur Samuel Das	Additional Active to R.P. Ward
Tikayat S.N. Bhanj Deo	Renting Proprietary
Dr. P.K. Parija, O.B.E., I.E.S.	University
S.C. Tripathy, I.E.S.	Public Schools
J. Shaw, O.B.S.E., I.C.E.	Civil Engineering
Lt. Col. A.N. Chopra, I.M.S.	Public Health
Dr. George Patnaik	Dentistry
Motial Pandit	Municipal Administration
Harekrushna Mahatab	Rice Growing
N.R. Swamy	News Bureaus
B.B. Roy	Electrical Consultant
C.S. Jha, I.C.S., O.B.E.	Motor Transportation Administration
H. Lal, I.C.S.	Co-operative Societies Administration
R.L. Kaura	Veterinary Medicine
Koovarji K. Rathor	Ice Manufacturing
Major Hopkins	Rail, Road Transportation Engineering
Dewan Bahadur	G. Nair Hydro-electric Development
N.Yusuf	Salt Producing
Rev. Beasley	Christianity-Protestantism
Nityananda Kanungo	Handicrafts
Pandit Godavarish Misra	Insurance-Life
C. Coary	Judiciary-Civil

A reference was made to Rotary international to send us the names of charter members. Dennis G. Swenson, Head Service of Clubs, Eastern Hemisphere Department supplied the information. In the forwarding letter he made an interesting statement - “The Cuttack Club's charter members certainly were a most decorated group of men.”

The Board of Directors of the new Rotary Club of Cuttack consisted the following persons:

President: B.K.Gokhle
Vice-President: Dr. P.K.Parija
Secretary:
1. L. Panigrahi
2. H. Mohapatra
Treasurer: S.N.Bhanj Deo
Directors:
1. R.P. Ward
2. Nityananda Kanungo.

The Club used to meet on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. In the Utkal University Committee Room and the number of charter members were 28.

The President of Rotary International was Rtn. I.A. Warren of Wolverhampton, England. Secretary of Rotary International was Mr. Phillip Lovejoy. The Charter was presented to the Cuttack Rotary Club by Mr. Nitish C. Lahirry, District Governor, Who became the President of Rotary International in 1962-63.

1945 - 2012

The Club is born:

Paul Harris founded Rotary in Chicago in the year 1905. By 1910 there were 16 Clubs in the United States. Rotary crossed the boundaries of U.S.A. when Rotary clubs were formed in Canada and Great Britain in 1911. It was no longer confined to the United States.

The first Rotary Club of India was established in Calcutta while in our District, Jabalpur came in 1939. Out club was in the RI Dist. 90, then 53, 325,326 and now in Dist 3260.

Rotary came to Cuttack immediately after the Second World War. B.K. Gokhale, a senior member of Indian Civil Service, who had been serving in Patna, was transferred to Cuttack in 1945, as the Adviser to the Governor of Orissa which then was under Governor's rule. Gokhale had been the Vice-President of the Rotary Club of Patna which had been established in 1943. With his experience in Patna, he took the initiative to organize a Rotary Club in Cuttack in 1945.

The Initial Shape:

The Club was organized on the 4th of Seceptember 1945 and was admitted to Rotary International on the 4th December, 1945. Nitish C. Lahirry who later became RI President was then Rotary Governor of District No. 90, which included Orissa and presented the Charter to Rotary Club of Cuttack.

okhale initiated the formation of the Club. He became the Charter President. There were 28 members and Gokhale was the topmost administrative Officer in the Province. Most of the members were senior officers of Government, particularly from the administrative service. In a recent correspondence with the R.I for obtaining the list of Charter members, R.I. Observed that “the Cuttack Club's Charter members were a most decorated Group.”

A remarkable feature of the Charter membership was that it included some eminent Congress leaders, fighting for the freedom of the country being sent to prison from time to time and holding political positions at intervals.

1945 - 1955

The activities over the 66 years of the career of the Rotary Club of Cuttack cannot be divided by clearly marked out periods. Activities grew, expanded and covered new areas, as a continuous process. This happens in the life of almost every organization.

During the first ten years, membership was small; meetings were cosy; fellowship was intimate; discussions often pertained to Public affairs. Questions on Hirakud Dam and Central Rice Research Institute, for instance, came for discussion. The meetings were dinner meetings, held on Tuesdays at 8.30 P.M.

For the first ten years, until the Rotary Club of Berhampur came into being in 1955, Cuttack was the only Rotary Club in the State of Orissa. The Rotary District then was geographically far too large and too spread out to have much contact with other Clubs in the District.

Being a solitary Club in Orissa, forming a part of a Rotary District spread over on extensive region, participation of the Cuttack Rotary Club in District functions as somewhat meager. Yet, it was indeed a matter of credit that In 1951 in the seventh year of the Club's coming into existence, it was possible for the Rotary Club of Cuttack to host a District Assembly. Dr. Lalit Sen of Asansol was the District Governor. Delegates from far and wide, from all over the District attended the Assembly, held in the premises of the old Circuit House.

1956-1970

This period saw a change in the composition of membership. The Club had started with a majority of senior government officials. During the second period, this number was reduced and more and more members came from the business community and professional men. The community came to be better represented in Rotary membership.

During this period, our club attempted to sponsor Rotary clubs at different urban centers in Orissa. Four such clubs were organized during this period. The 2nd club, sponsored by us was Bhubaneswar in 1965'' Balasore in 1968, Puri in 1969 and Sambalpur in 1970. Cuttack thus played the lead in extending Rotary to different parts of Orissa. Rotary community came closer. It became possible to organize inter-city meetings, extended activities and cultivate wide contacts.

Rotary's activities in community service and youth progamme took a definite shape during the period. The first Interact club was organised in the Stewart School, Cuttack, in 1967.The activities of this club were confined to the school premises. It did very good work and earned the distinction of being the best Interact club in 1970, in the District. The community-based Rotaract Club was organised in 1968-69 at Cuttack. Its community service reached high standards in the subsequent period. Besides, the usual activities of organising debates, etc. in the college were continued as a part of youth programme by the Rotary club.

The Rotary started community service in a planned manner. A village named Bhanpur near Balikuda, a few miles to the South of Cuttack, was adopted by the Rotary Club. A community hall was constructed in this village which was opened by the chief minister Dr. Mahatab. This hall was handed over to the Villagers for community use. The coastal districts of Orissa are subject to periodic floods. Rotarians went out to distribute relief to the flood affected people. It is worth noticing that youth and community services which were very much, extended in the following period were conceived, commenced and operated during this period. All such projects gather momentum with increased involvement.

On the completion of this fifteen year period, the celebration of the club's silver jubilee became due in 1970. Rtn. R.K. Padhi was the President and Rtn. Rabi Mohanty was the Secretary of the Club. A jubilee committee was formed with Rtn. Biju Mohanty as the Chairman. Dr. Ansari Governor of Orissa was the Chief Guest on the Celebration meeting. All the past Governors were invited to attend the function. Many of them were responded. Begum Ansari lighted twenty five candles to inaugurate the celebration. Functions and activities of the club were recounted. Appreciations and felicitations were expressed by the guests.

The Silver Jubilee celebration helped improve public relations and the community enlisted co-operation with Rotary's programmes and appreciated its position In the development of the Community.

1971-80

The third period covers a span of ten years from the celebration of the silver jubilee till the 35th anniversary. All these periods constitute a continuous process of growth and development. The features, activities and programmes started in the previous periods were further extended, developed and executed to serve the basic objectives of Rotary.

In this third period of ten years, there was further change in the components of membership. We got doctors, engineers, bankers and other professionals into our family. We got businessmen from Commerce and industry into our fold. Significant was the age composition. More and more young men joined the club.

The Rotary Club of Cuttack had organized 4 Rotary Clubs in the previous period. Five more clubs -Barbil, Angul, Jaipur Road, Dhenkanal and Choudwar were organised.

Our community service programmes have been rationalised and project oriented. The club had regular annual blind relief camp often in collaboration with Rotary Clubs in the United Kingdom and the District Red Cross. It organized annual dental camps at different places. Willing assistance was always forthcoming from the surgeons and staff of the Ophthalmology Department of the S.C.B. Medical College and Dental Association of Orissa. The Rotaractors and Interactors were always available to render service at these camps.

For relief operation in times of natural calamities like flood and cyclone, the club had built a fund which is immediately available for relief work. Health check-up and immunisation of children have been taken up in a systematic manner, as a part of the Health - Hunger and Humanity Programme.

Under the Youth Programme, one Interact Club at the St. Joseph's Girls' High School was set up in 1973 and another in Secondary Board High School in 1978. In the S.C.B. Medical College, a Rotaract Club was organised in 1971-72, one in S.B.Women's College in 1975 and one in Ravenshaw College in 1979. There had been one Interact Club and one Rotaract Club in the previous period.

A village Nimpur on the other side of Mahanadi has been adopted. A School has been established, a road has been constructed. A well has been renovated and electric Connection has been taken into the Village. Bank loans have been made available to a number of families in the Village.

In the area of Youth Programme, various awards for English elocution, Oriya debate, Painting and Clay modeling, music competition, etc., have become annual features. Merit awards are given in each High School, and two students from each school are helped to pay secondary Board Examination fees. Various other awards have been instituted for meritorious achievements.

In the area of international service, a good deal of progress has been done during this period. The club has two Paul Harris sustaining members' and three memorial contributors.

During this period three young men sponsored by the club received Rotary Foundation Awards. One studied law in U.K., another Cardiology in Australia and one English literature in Canada. Three persons sponsored by our club became members of Group Study Exchange Teams from our District and went abroad. We have been hosting Group Study Exchange Teams from abroad and this has become an annual feature.

Our Club hosted two District Conferences during this period. Once in 1971-72 when A.L. Das Verma of Ranchi was the District Governor and once again in 1976 - 77 when Dr. Sadasiv Misra was the District Governor.

1981-2000

The Rotary Club of Cuttack has conducted a good number of Eye camps in rural areas of Cuttack District. In the year 1981-82 our club had the distinction of conducting 19 Eye Camps in Cuttack District. That apart, the most significant project was the Rotary Eye Hospital at Bidanasi, the only Eye Hospital in our State. This project has been a unique project for Blind Relief and has been serving the people not only of our State but also from the neighbouring States.

During this period Rotary Volunteers Medical Team from our Club has gone abroad 4-5 times to conduct Eye Camps in Africa (Ghana, Kenya and Sierre Leone). Rtn. K.C. Munjal, Rtn. Dr. B.S. Mishra, Dr. Harish Mohanty and Rtn. Dr. Santosh K. Moda were our Rotary Volunteers. Rtn. PP K.C. Munjal the leader of the Team was awarded the prestigious service Above Self award.

Our Club organised 3 District Conferences and several Inter City meets.

The District 326 Conference was organised in 1982. The conference of R.I. District 3260 was held in 1988 and later in 1993 at Cuttack. Our Club is proud to have given 3 more District Governors during this period. They are Rtn. Dr. Sukumar Das, Rtn. G.C. Senapati and Rtn. Sukumar Sen.

The Club has done yeomen service for the Community during floods and natural calamities. In the field of Vocational Service new Projects were taken up. A Vocational Training Center for Stenography and Typing and a center for Tailoring was Set-up in Village Kalana about 70 kms from Cuttack. Some unemployed youths have been provided with employment. Camps for the handicapped have been conducted. In Youth Service, the Rotaractors of Rotaract Club of Cuttack organised a Silver Jubilee Meet. They have been helping the Rotary in all our activities. The Interactors of St. Joseph's Girls High School, Stewart School have played their part very well. We are proud of our Interactors. An Interact Club has been started in Biribati High School about 10 Kms. from Cuttack. A Rotary Village Corps has been started in Biribati Village.

In the last few years of 20th Century, the club suffered with great shock, the loss of the eminent Rotarians PDG Justice Harihar Mahapatra, PDG Dr. Sadasiv Misra and PDG Sukumar Sen who left us for heavenly abode. Their loss was not only a blow for our club but also for entire Rotary World. Their contribution to our club and Rotary will be remembered for ever.

The Club completed 50 years during the month of December 1994 and Golden Jubilee function was launched, Rtn. Chandrakant Doshi was the President. During the yearlong celebration, in a function on 11th of December, past RI Director, Rtn. Kalyan Benerjee was the Chief Guest and the then Chief Minister late Mr. Biju Patnaik, who was the guest of honour was so moved that he donated his pair of eyes and a lakh of rupees for the Golden Jubilee complex of JPM Rotary Eye Hospital.

In the subsequent year, the club hosted the District Rotaract Conference and District Interact meet. A RVC and probus club were established and JPM Rotary Eye Hospital expansion took place. Home hospitality was extended to 12 British Rotarians visiting India on January 1998 on behalf of “Sight Savers” for eye care.

The first ever District Assembly was hosted by our club in the month of May 1999. The chief guest PRIP Rtn. Raja Saboo was kind enough to hand over on behalf of our club, a hearse vehicle, donated by Anne Bharati B. Rathor for the citizen of Cuttack and neighbouring areas. RI Director Barry Thompson and Anne Thompson visited our club and J.P.M. Rotary Eye Hospital on 17th January 1998.

1999 says the unprecedented super cyclone in the costal bank of Odisha. The club rose to the occasion and organised free cooked food camps, distribution of medicines, blankets and clothes. Help was pouring in from various agencies like Rotary Club of Jabalpur, Rotary Club of North Thane, Rotary Club of Colombo, Rotary Club of Ranchi, Rotary Club of Madras, Odisha Association from USA, Staff of Ordnance Factory, Pune and various organisations.

The club joined hands' with Indian Medical Association, Orissa branch, Cuttack Club and Radhanath Swasthya Kendra in conducting medical and health camps. Hon'ble Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik visited the joint health camp and JPM Rotary Eye Hospital and was very much impressed with its functioning. The club also provided drinking water by sinking tube wells in cyclone affected areas.

2001-2012

The club had the honour of having RI President Elect. Rtn. Frank J. Devilyn and his charming wife Anne Gloria Rita accompanied by past RI Director Rtn. Sudarsan 'Agarwal and past RI Director Rtn. Kalyan Benerjee. They visited the J.P.M. Rotary Eye Hospital and expressed great satisfaction and were full of praise for the noble endeavor of the club. 1st floor new block in the Eye Hospital has been opened as a specialised clinic by the generous donation of Justice Ranganath Misra his M.P. LAD fund.

Approximately 12 kms. from Cuttack, a village “Paschim Kachha” was adopted for setting up of a vocational training Centre for ladies. Sewing machines were donated for impating training. The Club was able to construct a Community Centre cum School Hall with water and electricity in the adopted vilalge.

Three new projects were started by our Club. Club and charitable Trust established and old age home for Senior Citizens at Naraj. This endeavour has been with special emphasis on the poor and needy for helping them to lead a more peaceful and independent life. This has been named as Sampatrai Rotary Senior Citizen Home. “Shradha” Rotary Charitable dispensary started at Ganesh Ghat to provide medical facilities to old and needy people where allopathic and homeopathic medicines are supplied. A Rotary Centre has been established since 2002 where facilities are there for an English medium pre-school, Dance (Odisi & Modern) Classes, Drawings and painting classes. Another wing called ASHA was established to provide education for under privileged children.

The second phase of centennial Project “Sampatrai Senior Citizen Home” “Sadhana” was inaugurated by Hon'ble Chief Minister of Orissa Sj. Naveen Patnaik on 18th September 2004 to accommodate people on pay and stay basis. Banarasi Devi Goenka Rotary Eye Bank was established. Rtn. Robert Sergent a volunteer of ORBIS International imparted training in J.P.M. Rotary Eye Hospital.

On completion of 100 years of Rotary Centennial Celebration was observed with a view to make the public aware of the activities of Rotary. Rtn. Dr. Subasini Lenka was the President. A blood donation camp and vaccination camp, eye check-up camp at St. Joseph Girls” High School were also conducted. A meeting was held in the evening at Cuttack Club Annexe-1 where octogenarian Rotarians with more than 50 years of service in Rotary were felicitated.

The Club completed 60 years during the month of December 2005 and Diamond Jubilee was celebrated. Rtn. Dr. Pradipta Kumar Jesthi was the President. Three days long programme started from 4th Dec. 2005 to 6th December.2005. Hon'ble Justice Sri Ranganath Mishra inaugurated the function and Hon'ble Sri Manmohan Samal Minister, Revenue, food supplies and consumer welfare was the Chief Guest. Three members who completed 50 years in the Club, and all the Past Presidents of our club were felicitated. A special coloured first day cover depicting the 4 permanent projects of the club with special cancellation was issued by Indian Postal Department. A Diamond Jubilee lapel pin of the Club and special colourful Souvenir were issued during the celebration.

During the last sixtysix years the following prestigious awards have been received by the Club and the members of the club

the RI “Service Above Self award was received by Rtn. K.C. Munjal, Rtn. PDG Dr. Sukumar Das, Rtn. PDG G.C.Senapati
PDG Senapati also received International award for contribution to Polio eradication as a member of National Polio-Plus Committee, Golden Century award by R.I. President, Award for contribution to Blind Relief (Avoidable blindness), Meritorious service Award by Chairman, I.R.F. And Distinguished Service Award by Chairman, The Rotary Foundation
Four Avenues of Service” award was received by Rtn. Khatau Sunderdas, Rtn. Dr. G.S. Acharya, Rtn. Dr. Prabhat Kumar Misra, Rtn. Dr. Subasini Lenka and Rtn. Dr. Pradipta Ku. Jesthi
Rtn. Khatau Sunderdas received “Commitment to service Award”.
A number of R.I. Awards as well as District awards were received in different years by the Club eg. R.I. Presidential citation to the club during 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 etc.
Dr. Pradipta Kumar Jesthi has been felicitated by Indian National Polio Plus Committee of Rotary International during 2005-2006
Rtn. Justice Harihar Mahapatra was the Governor of RI Dist. 326, Rtn. Dr. Sadasiv Misra was the Governor of RI Dist. 326, Rtn. Dr. Sukumar Das, Rtn. G.C. Senapati and Rtn. Sukumar Sen were the District Governor of R.I. Dist. 3260.
Rtn. P.K. Misra, Rtn. Pawan Agarwal, Rtn. Dr. Braja Sundar Mishra, Rtn. Sushanta Mohanty, Rtn. Dr. Subasini Lenka and Rtn. S.S. Rao were Assistant Governors and A.D.T. Of R.I. Dist: 3260.

Rtn. Dr. P.K. Misra, Rtn. Sushanta Mohanty, Rtn. Manoj Mishra, Rtn. D.K. Biswal, Rtn. Prasant Kumar Panigrahi, contributed to the Rotary Foundation of PHF and Rtn. Dr. Subasini Lenka, Rtn. Surya Prasad Misra and Rtn. Devashis Panda MPHF.

Rtn. Surya Prasad Misrhra received dynamic Secretary Award for the year 2006-2007. Rtn. Dr. Raghubir Das received outstanding President Award during Rotary Year: 2007-2008

During 2008-2009, P.P. Rtn. Surya Prasad Misra distributed a good number of blankets to the poor and needy in the slum area during winter, Cold drinking water machine was installed in the premises of Odisha High Court apart from a lot of community service activities throughout the year.

During the Presidentship of Rtn. Ranjit Kumar Das in the year 2009-2010 the club organised a seminar on “Stewardship”, the club got RI President's Citation “For Strengthening Rotary's future through exemplary action and service”. During the year, the then RI President elect Ray Klinginsmith & RI Director Rtn. K.R. Ravindran visited JPM Eye Hospital and appreciated efficient management of the project.

Rtn. Manoj Mishra was President for 2010-2011. Braille was donated to a blind girl student of Ravenshaw University. Financial assistance of Rs. 30,000/- was provided to a meritorious student to take admission in Engineering College. President Manoj was declared outstanding President for the year.

During Rotary year 2011-2012 President Dr. K.B. Das attempted to touch all service areas of activities. Club seminars on “Mother & Child Health care” & “Eye Disease Awareness” were held. Besides, there were Blood Donation camps & a joint rally on Polio was also organized.

The paediatric eye care building in JPM Rotary Eye Hospital was completed and inaugurated by His Excellency Governor of Odisha, Hon'ble Sri Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare on the auspicious occasion of foundation day of hospital i.e. on 14th January, 2011.

The activities and achievements during the last few decades will certainly give us courage and confidence to march ahead. Rotary needs dedicated men with personal involvement in service to the Community above self. On the celebration of installation ceremony we take up the challenge on the background of our progress so far. “We should like to think”, as said Paul Harris over forty years after Rotary, “that the Pioneering days of Rotary have only begun”.

Rtn. Devashis Panda the Club President in Rotary year 2012-13. Recognising the Club activities RIP Sakuji Tanaka awarded the R.I. President’s Citation to the Club. The Club received an outstanding Club Award from the district Governor with a four star rating and the Club received awards for Child Literacy, Geriatric care and Highest Blood Donation activities. Secretary Rtn. Partha Sarathi Chatterjee was the GSR of newly formed Rotary Club Srikshetra Puri & received the Dist. awards as GSR & for New Club formation. The Club conducted various meetings on relevant topics and also conducted various workshops and Seminars in association with JPM Rotary Club of Cuttack Eye Hospital & research Institute. Dist. seminar on Rotary fellowship was conducted on the last day of RY 2012-13.