(Excerpted from an article by Rotary International CEO John Hewko that originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune's Opinion Section © 2025 Chicago Tribune)
In February 1905, a Chicago lawyer named Paul Harris resolved to fill a hole in his life. He had arrived in the city a few years earlier, and though he’d built a successful law practice, something was missing. The young man was lonely. The sense of camaraderie and community he had known growing up in a small Vermont town was glaringly absent in the hustle and bustle of urban life.
To overcome his feeling of alienation, Harris asked three acquaintances if they wanted to meet regularly to share friendship. Their first meeting took place February 23 in downtown Chicago. There, they decided to form a club, where people could come together—not just to do business, but to form lasting, genuine connections. Because they would rotate their meetings at each other’s offices, they chose “Rotary” as a fitting name for the group.
The first four Rotarians were Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram Shorey and Paul Harris. That one club soon became dozens and then hundreds, until finally there were thousands of clubs in small towns and big cities across America and the world. They meet for fellowship, networking and community services.
More than a century later, Harris would likely not be surprised that the clubs he founded to combat isolation and loneliness have become a powerful global force for human connection. In recent years, however, the idea of belonging to traditional civic organizations is perceived to be obsolete. Many who flock to online communities see them as something for their grandparents’ generation.
Are they really?
While technology can be a tool to bridge gaps, it is no substitute for real-world engagement. Despite being more digitally connected than ever, many people are struggling to forge the kind of deep, meaningful relationships that give life purpose. We have thousands of online “friends” but fewer real confidants. The decline of religious and civic participation, coupled with the rise of remote work and social media, has left many of us feeling isolated—even in crowded cities.
Given the prevalence of loneliness, the vision of Harris—that people, no matter their profession or cultural background, could come together to form meaningful relationships and create lasting change—is more relevant today than ever. Reviving people’s interest in joining civic organizations is an effective solution for loneliness.
At their core, community membership organizations are about more than service projects. They are about creating spaces where people of all backgrounds come together to find support, and a sense of purpose. In recent years, many traditional membership organizations have modernized their rules and reinvented themselves, creating programs and causes that appeal to the young generation.
As we face this loneliness epidemic, the solution is within our grasp. It begins with each of us choosing to connect—to reach out to a neighbor and to join a local group. In doing so, we not only enrich our own lives but help build a society where no one has to feel alone.
Comments