The Rotary Club of Duarte, California, was chartered in District 530 in 1952. But just before its twenty-fifth birthday in 1976, the Duarte club violated Rotary's bylaws by inviting women to join, ultimately causing its charter to be unceremoniously revoked by Rotary International. Undeterred, the club renamed itself the Ex-Rotary Club of Duarte and its members continued on their quest not to be outcasts of one of the greatest humanitarian organizations in the world.

Filled with facts and personal anecdotes, the first woman president in Rotary International shares a fascinating glimpse...