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Background of the State of Ohio
Rotary License Plate
 In
1996 incoming
RI President Luis Giay challenged each new district governor to
establish an ongoing program that would support The Rotary
Foundation. Incoming DG6650 David C. Ewing a 4th
generation Chevrolet dealer in Canton, Ohio was very aware of the
success of the National Pro Football Hall of Fame special plate. He
believed a Rotary International License Plate was the way to meet RI
President Giay’s challenge. During the planning meetings of
All-OHIO P.E.T.S. training, he collaborated with the leadership team
of the Rotarians of the State of Ohio and it was unanimously agreed
to proceed with the project.
 On
March 20, 1997, a letter to State Senator Scott Oelslager, Chairman
Ohio Senate Highway & Transportation Committee and personal friend
of DG Dave Ewing was drafted and signed by the five district
governors of the State of Ohio: 6600 James Smith; 6630 William
Pinter; 6650 David Ewing; 6670 Marion Penick, and 6690 Morris
Briggs. The letter stated that since 1997 marks the 80th
Anniversary of the Rotary Foundation and the 50th year
since the death of our founder Paul P. Harris, what better way to
commemorate these events than with the establishment of a Rotary
License Plate. The plate fee would be $25 in addition to the
regular registration with $15 of that fee being donated to The
Rotary Foundation. A copy of the letter was circulated throughout
the Rotary leaders in Ohio and each one was encouraged to write
their State Representative and State Senator to support the passage
of the legislation establishing the Ohio Rotary License Plate. In
June 1997 Gov. George V. Voinovich signed the legislation
authorizing the Rotary International Plate for the State of Ohio.
The next hurdle was the design approval of Rotary
International and the State of Ohio. With the help of Canton Ohio
Rotarian David Rausch, partner of Wern, Locke, and Rausch
Advertising we had no problem. Dave Rausch designed of the
successful Pro-Football Hall of Fame License Plate and later the
Hall of Fame Bridge over I-77 in Stark County, Ohio. On August 13,
1997 an additional request that a meaningful letter combination (TRF
The Rotary Foundation) be utilized. On
September 19, 1997, final design approval was received from all
parties and the plates numbered from 010TRF thru 999TRF were
authorized.
 It was also necessary to coordinate the payment of
the plate proceeds ($15/plate) collected by the State to The Rotary
Foundation. It was decided that each Ohio Rotary District (5) would
take turns in receiving the credit (Foundation recognition points)
for payments made quarterly by the State to the Rotary Foundation.
The Foundation sends the current district governor a receipt every
fifth quarter for monies received thru the sale of Rotary License
Plates. This rotation of the districts receipts equalizes out any
seasonal differences in moneys collected.
In 1998, the first full year of plate sales, our
members only purchased 292 sets of Rotary Plates. The second year
after a general mailing we sold 755. Sales have been inconsistent
throughout the years depending on the support and promotion by the
leaders of each Rotary Club. In 2004 only 640 plates were sold.
Ohio State law mandates that organizational plates have sales of
1,000 or the plate program will be terminated. In spite of the
program’s inconsistent sales, Ohio Rotarians purchasing Rotary
Plates will have contributed over $90,000 to the Rotary Foundation.
Any even more important, 600-800 vehicles travel our roads both in
and outside of Ohio displaying the Rotary Logo and building
awareness and good publicity for Rotary International.
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