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About Our
District
Rotary
District 5190 encompasses the California Mother Lode,
Northeastern California and the vast area of Northern Nevada.
The District size is roughly 80,000 square miles and includes a
wide diversity of terrain and climates.
As of June, 2010, there were approximately 2,450 club members
in 54 active clubs. 31 of the clubs are in California and 23
clubs are in Nevada.
A History of Rotary District 5190: 1915-2010
In 1915 officers of Rotary International recognized the need for
more efficient administration of the rapidly growing,
geographically widespread number of clubs being chartered. A
worldwide division into Rotary Districts resulted. District 13
was comprised of clubs from California, Nevada, Arizona, New
Mexico and Hawaii. Henry Brunnier of the Rotary Club of San
Francisco was elected District Governor of District 13 for the
Rotary year 1915 -1916. Brunnier was followed in 1916-1917 by
Homer Sumption of the Rotary Club of San Diego. The Rotary Club
of Reno, the oldest club in present-day District 5190, was
chartered under Sumption's governorship.
Then, in 1918 the designation of District 13 was changed to
District 23. Chartering of new clubs was relatively slow in
these early years because the central office believed a service
area population of at least 30,000 was necessary in order for a
club to exist and function successfully. Eventually, when RI
removed this requirement, growth accelerated. In 1922 the
designation changed again, from District 23 to District 2. This
district was now made up of clubs from California, Nevada,
Hawaii and Mexico. Now the chartering of new clubs exceeded all
expectations, and as a result District 2 was split into five
districts in 1937. Northern California and Nevada became
District 105. Growth continued, and many new clubs were
chartered in Northern California as well as three more in
Nevada.
After 10 years, in 1947, it was time for another division of
the district. District 109 was split from District 105 and
boundaries were reduced. Although the District 109 designation
lasted only two years, six new clubs were chartered, including
two in Nevada, during this period. Rotary International again
changed designations in 1949 and former District 109 became
District 164. We remained 164 until 1957, when continued growth
of the district necessitated division once more. The district
was split with Northern California being divided. The new
district, number 519, now included the northeastern part of
California from Walnut Grove on the south to the Oregon border
and all of Nevada except for the southern tip (Las Vegas). In
1957 District 519 was comprised of 51 clubs with a total of 3315
members. During the ensuing years the chartering of new clubs
in District 519 continued at a moderate pace. Also, a minor
boundary change on the western edge of the district brought in
two existing clubs, Gridley and West Sacramento.
By 1987 the district had grown to 64 Rotary Clubs, and it was
becoming increasingly difficult for District Governors to
perform their required duties in the time frame prescribed by
Rotary International. Throughout the United States the
proliferation of clubs had resulted in more and smaller
districts. District 519 was now geographically one of the
largest in the United States. A proposal to divide into two
districts with 33 clubs in one and 31 clubs in the other was
approved by the RI Board of Directors in 1988. However, a
campaign by dissenting clubs was successful, and a poll of all
clubs in the district resulted in a rejection of the split.
Additional new clubs were chartered, and in 1990 a new proposal
for splitting was put before the clubs of District 519 which now
numbered 69 clubs with 4,456 members. This proposal divided the
district along the ridge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but
this was also rejected by the club members. In early 1991, the
RI Board of Directors changed the district numbering system from
three digit designations to four. District 519 became District
5190 in July, 1991. Club extension committees continued to be
successful, and new clubs were chartered throughout the
district.
Finally, a division meeting the approval of all clubs was
proposed. New District 5180, comprised of 34 clubs in the
Sacramento, Marysville/Yuba City and Oroville areas, was split
off from 5190. Now, District 5190 was reduced to 46 clubs (45
after Lake Tahoe Southeast was disbanded). The district included
most of Nevada, as before, and the foothill and mountain areas
of Northeastern California. This division was effective July 1,
1995. Although the number of clubs in District 5190 was reduced,
the geographical size still remains the largest in the 48
contiguous states. Much of the earliest history of our district
is now in the archives of other districts of which we were once
a part. But District 5190 has a proud heritage.
Support of the Rotary Foundation has always placed us among the
highest producing districts. In early 1987, in Concord,
California, the final Sunday morning of PETS included a special
meeting with the District Governor at that time, Paul Nielsen.
For the first time, PDG Nielsen disclosed to the
Presidents-elect a new RI program that was to be initiated
throughout the District for 1987-88. The new PolioPlus program
that had been created in the Philippines was to now go
worldwide. It was announced at the meeting that RI's goal was to
raise $115 Million US. PDG Nielsen gave each club president a
target amount for their specific club that included an amount
based on past foundation giving for each respective club. Most
of the clubs in the district met or exceeded their goal. During
that year the District was represented by 63 clubs that included
the Rotary Club of Reno with 250 members and the Sacramento Club
with nearly 500 members and raised $1.104 million US for the
PolioPlus Program.
The clubs in our district have continuously been involved in
international programs through World Community Service and the
Foundation. We have participated with countries in Africa, Asia,
Central and South America, Fiji, Russia, Romania and the
Philippines.
Activities and programs for youth have always generated great
support from the District 5190 clubs. Our district wide programs
include Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE), where approximately 30 high
school students from around the world come to live with host
families and attend school in our local communities, learning
about life and culture in the United States. Another 30 students
from our District go "out" each year to explore the
world in a yearlong cultural exchange while attending high
school abroad. Rotary Youth Exchange builds world peace and
understanding, one student at a time.
Another district wide program is Interact, with 15 active
Interact clubs in various communities. Interact is a Rotary
sponsored club for 14 to 18 year olds, typically at a high
school. Rotaract, Rotary sponsored clubs for ages 18-30, has
been growing in importance and popularity in District 5190 with
4 clubs at present. Rotaract bridges that gap between high
school and full Rotary membership with either college based or
community based clubs.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a premier leadership
training opportunity for high school juniors in District 5190,
with nearly 100% participation of our clubs in this valuable
program. Our District continues to participate in RYLA with
neighboring District 5180, as the camp started in 1988 when the
two districts were one. Students come away from the week long
experience at Grizzly Creek Ranch, near Portola, saying that it
was a "life changing experience". More than 100 high
school juniors from our District participate in RYLA each year.
The Group Study Exchange Program has been another Foundation
Program strongly supported by the District. This program,
involving successful non-Rotarian business and professional
people, has seen District 5190 sending groups to and receiving
groups from many countries around the world.
Each year District 5190 sends scholars abroad for a year or
more of study under the Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship
Program. Generous membership support of the Rotary Foundation
has enabled our district to make all of these programs available
in our communities.
The once controversial issue of female membership in Rotary is
now a distant memory. In 1987, Georgia Schultz was the Charter
President of the Rotary Club of Ione. Since then, several of our
clubs have elected women presidents. In 1997-1998 Lydia Frenzel
served as our first woman District Governor. Wyn Spiller served
as the second woman District Governor in 2008-2009 and was
succeeded by District Governor Janice Gage in 2009-2010.
For many years, Sparks, Nevada was the traditional location for
the District 5190 annual District Conference. George Ticknor,
first District Governor of the most recently defined district,
broke with tradition in 1995-1996, and the conference was held
in Elko, Nevada. It returned to Sparks in 1997. The District
Conference was held at Lake Tahoe in 1998 and 1999, at Tahoe
City in 2000, and back to Reno in 2001. The 2002 Conference was
held in Sparks, at the Atlantis in Reno in 2003 and in 2004 the
conference was held at Granlibakken, Tahoe City. The 2005
conference was held at the Reno Hilton, while the 2006 &
2007 conferences were held at the Nugget in Sparks, with the
2008 and 2009 conferences being held at the Peppermill in Reno.
The 2010 Conference was held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno.
The 2011 District Conference will be held at the Atlantis Casino
Resort Spa in Reno.
District 5190 has a history representative of the growth of
Rotary, which in recent years has been through the chartering of
sunrise or sunset Clubs. As an example, 2006-07 saw three new
clubs chartered. The District recognized that we needed to find
innovative ways to attract new members; we needed to create a
Rotary Club for the next generation. The District was honored to
charter the Reno New Generations Club on November 6,
2009 with 31 charter members and represents one of the very few
non-traditional clubs in the United States. |
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