About Us

The Tampa Town 'N Country Rotary Club was Chartered in May of 1988 with twenty seven members.  The club was founded by Phil Cole, a general insurance agent who was the first President.  The Rotary Clubs of Tampa West and Carrollwood were the sponsoring clubs.  Today there are still two charter members, Phil Cole and Lewis Bowers, an accountant.  Other members in the early days were Bill Vickers, a paint store owner, Paul Damke, a V.P. with First Union Bank and Terry Manrique, owner of an air conditioning company.  The Club's Manrique Scholarship fund is named in memory and honor of Terry Manrique's daughter, Rachel who died as an infant. 

"Moonlight Madness", a night golf tournament put the club on the map as a fundraiser in the early years.  The club later went to daytime tournaments and offshore fishing tournaments. 

This is a young and vibrant club searching for sustained growth and dynamic, innovative leaders.

Ideally, a Rotary Club's members represent a cross-section of the businesses and professions within the boundaries stipulated in its Charter.

Although most of our members reside or do business in the area, exceptions are made and this policy also applies to the providing of aid to worthy projects both far and wide.

A unique feature of a Rotary Club is that typically its active membership is limited to but one representative from each distinct business or profession.  Every member must be a leader in his or her field.  With only one member to represent a classification, the Rotary Club then represents a cross-section of the community and is manifestly a better balanced organization than if made up of many members from fewer vocations.  In the last few years Rotary has begun to accept more than one person in a broad classification, however acceptance is required from those already in that classification.

The Tampa Town 'N Country Rotary Club is one of twenty-five thousand clubs throughout the world with over one million members, both women and men, striving to help people in need, trying to improve health where disease is rampant, especially where poverty exists, providing cultural and educational exchanges to further the ideal of World Peace and Understanding.

Neither Race, Religion, Sex nor Politics enter into the criteria of membership.

Rotary does not exist solely for fellowship, but operates on the principal that the member who serves must act - not once a week, but day-to-day and hour-to-hour as opportunities arise.  Members work as a team, reaching out to the community at large, to be of service.

The Tampa Town 'N Country Rotary Club has engaged in numerous projects since its inception in 1988.

We have supported the homeless, the elderly, the infirm, the functionally disabled and the families and youth not only of our immediate district but wherever our help is needed.

We have sent Tampa students across the world on student exchange programs lasting up to one year and have hosted foreign students in our homes.

As well, we have entertained requests for aid and have assisted in projects in countries throughout the five continents.

All requests for assistance, either monetary or physical, are given careful consideration.
 

The Four Way Test

...of the things we think, say or do

First

Is it the TRUTH?

Second

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Third

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Fourth

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?