The "Bell Robbery" in Rotary

*What was the "Bell Robbery"? *

It was an old Rotary tradition created to promote fellowship between clubs. Today we mostly don't practice this tradition anymore, but it had its good times and left us great anecdotes of friendship.

*How did it work? *

1. *The Bell*: Every Rotary club has a bell. It symbolizes discipline and with its sound every session opens and closes.

2. *The "Robbery"*: If a Rotarian visited another club and saw that no one was guarding the bell, he could discreetly take it away. He then warned the host club president that his bell had been "stolen."

3. *The Recovery*: The "aggravated" club could only recover its bell by visiting the club that owned it. The custom was to return it embellished, with a commemorative engraving.

4. *The result*: More club visits, more laughs, more friendship.

*What does it symbolize? *

A bell with many engravings meant a club with many Rotary friends. Each brand told a story of a visit and bonds strengthened.

Although today it is a tradition that is no longer commonly practiced, we are reminded that in Rotary *details build community*.

Image Source: THE ROTARIAN, October 1922