Calf Chain

Every Club needs an archivist. Few have more passion or fun with club history than Chester's Dr. Doug Marion. The event described below occurred in 1930, but was documented sometime in the 60's. Dr. Marion found a picture of the event at the County History Museum. Here is the story.

"When Chester was known as the 'Wonderful Guernsey Center of Dixie,' Rotary began a 'calf chain.' Thoroughbred calves were given to a select group of boys to grow out, develop, and exhibit in cattle shows. Each young man was to give the first female born to the animal to the Club, which in turn, gave it to another boy, thus, perpetuating the project. J.G. Grant's calf grew into a very fine cow and won many prizes. She was cased up on one occasion, and brought to the Chester Hotel dining room to show off to the Rotarians. While members of the Rotary Club ate chicken and dressing, she munched on fragrant, new-mown hay. Money from the sale of this cow enabled Grant to go to college. Later, a 'pig chain' was started by Rotary, but there were so many links in it that it was later abandoned."

If you look closely, you will see the cow under the Rotary Wheel in the back of the room. I assume the boy on the far left is J. G. Grant. The cow looks like a Holstein and not a Guernsey, but what do I know. Not one Rotarian is smiling, even though they have just brought a cow into the dining room of Chester's finest hotel. It is too bad for history's sake that they did not move the cow out front for the picture.