The year 1930 saw the Rotary flame kindle in Singapore. On June 6, 75 leading members of the community representing 20 different nationalities met at Raffles Hotel to inaugurate the first Rotary Club in Singapore. The flame was fanned by the visions of men like James W. Davidson, Lim Bock Kee and the founding President, Dato (Sir) Roland Braddell. The Board of Directors immediately set high standards for future Boards by organizing the first Malayan Rotary Clubs Conference in December 1930. Six months after its inauguration, the Club received its Charter under which it operates as Club No. 3360 on the roll of Rotary International.
By 1939, membership had risen to 148 and the Singapore Rotary was the most cosmopolitan in the world, helping by example, in a small way, to foster the Singapore tradition of a multi-racial community living in peace and harmony.
After the war in 1945, the Club started to function again, growing steadily in number each year making significant contributions to the welfare of the community and in promoting international understanding. By 1952, the Rotary Club of Johore Bahru became a reality through our sponsorship. Then came the Rotary Club of Singapore West in 1960 and the Rotary Club of Singapore East in 1965. From then on, more clubs were mothered and Rotary grew in Singapore
Originally, the Rotary Club of Singapore was part of the Rotary district which covered seven countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. After the Vietnam War, the District was narrowed down to Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. Subsequently, Thailand became a new District, and later, our current District 3310 was formed with Singapore, Johore, Malacca, Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan, and Brunei.