Related Page
Rotary District 5050 extends from Everett, Washington, USA to Hope, British Columbia, Canada.
An easy way to remember the geographical location is that we are between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC but without either city.
Our District follows the I5 from Everett, across the border to the Lower Mainland, then up Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley.
Rotary first came to the Pacific Northwest, with the founding of the Seattle Rotary Club as "Club Number Four" (following Chicago, San Francisco and Oakland).
With the creation of new Rotary clubs, there have been many changes in the geographical areas and District numbering of the clubs that now comprise District 5050.
Everett, the oldest club in District 5050, was chartered March 1st, 1917 as Club Number 242.
Until 1945, Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Alaska and parts of Idaho formed one district (under various numbers including District 15, 22, 1 and 102).
In 1945, major subdivisions were made on both a North-South and East-West basis. District 101 (later renumbered as 151) emerged and for a time we were the largest geographical district in the world of Rotary.
New subdivisions in 1956 removed Vancouver Island and Washington State, south of the King Country line from what now constitues our District. In 1957, District 151 was redesignated as District 504 with no change in boundaries.
In 1973, further changes removed Alaska and the Yukon to seperate districts and moved the southern boundary to South West 152nd Street in Snohomish County, Washington.
In the suceeding decade, with a dramatic increase in the number of clubs and the extensive distance between the southern and northern clubs, the need for further redistricting became evident. A committee was formed in 1984 to study the problem. After considering several alternatives, a recommendation was submitted to Rotary International to split District 504 into two districts of about 30 clubs each.
The redistricting request was approved in February 1986. On July 1st, 1987, District 505 was established with 16 clubs in the State of Washington and 15 clubs in British Columbia.
The east, west and southern boundaries were not changed and the northern boundary was established as being approximately the Fraser River. Despite the separation, Districts 504 and 505 continued to enjoy a special relationship with one another, and have held joint District Conferences on three occasions (1992, 1994 and 2006).
On July 1st, 1991, District 505 became District 5050 as a part of the worldwide process of renumbering to accomodate overall growth in the world of Rotary.
Currently, there are fifty-eight clubs in District 5050 with a total membership of just over 2,700 Rotarians.
Throughout all of the changes, we have always been an international District. Our motto is: "50% American, 50% Canadian, 100% Rotarian".
We are also known as the "Peace Arch District". The Peace Arch stands on the longest undefended national border, with one foot anchored in American soil and one in Canadian soil, approximately in the middle of Rotary District 5050.
Click to read more about the history of the Peace Arch.
Click here to read back issues of our District's monthly newsletter, the Peace Arch Journal.
To read more about the history of our clubs, use the Club Histories link at the top left of this page or just CLICK HERE