ANNIVERSARY OF ROTARY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 110, 22 February 1950, Page 4

ANNIVERSARY OF ROTARY

MOVEMENT NOW WORLD-WIDE INTERESTING SURVEY To-morrow is the 45th anniversary of the founding of Rotary. It is perhaps fitting that more than passing notice should be taken of this event, as Rotary to-day is one, if not the biggest, of many associations seeking to make a better world.

It is interesting to note that the first Rotary Club was organised in Chicago on February 23, 1905, by Paul Harris, a young lawyer. He wanted to organise a club which would band together a group of I'epresentative business and professional men, a club where the members might recapture the friendliness, comradeship and understanding of the small town life many of them had known as youngsters.

This formed the nucleus for the thousands of Rotary clubs which have been organised throughout the world. Paul Harris named his club the Rotary Club because originally members met in rotation at > their various places of business. Membership in the new club grew rapidly and soon became too large to meet in places of business, and the club began to meet once a Aveek around the luncheon table. This set the pattern for the rest of the Rotary movement.

Objects of Movement

The objects of Rotary are to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise, and', in particular, to encourage and foster:

(1) The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service. (2) High ethical standards in business and profesions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful accupations as an opportunity to serve society.

(3) The application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian to his personal business and community life. (4) The advancement of "international understanding, good will, and peace through a world fellowship; of business and professional men united in the ideal- of service.

Rotary ideas of friendship, fellowship and service to others have been accepted by men of practically all nationalities, all political and religious beliefs.

Rotary has grown in an amazing fashion during the past 45 years. Today there are nearly 7000 Rotary clubs in 82 countries with a membership of 333,500 business and professional executives. On an average five, new clubs are formed every week. As a concrete ■ expression of one of its principal objectives—the advancement of international understanding—Rotary International has awarded 111 Rotary Foundation Fellowships in the last three years to enable outstanding graduate students from 20 countries -in the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Islands of the Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand, to study in countries other than their own as ambassadors of good will.

Special Fellowships

A now typo of Rotary Fellowship has. been created with the granting of special Fellowships for 1949-1950 to two doctors from war-devastated countries (Austria and Finland), who ai'e now able to take special courses in medical study at universities in the United States. On their return to. their own countries they will pass on the latest techniques in their specialised fields. -

Rotary International has consultative status with Unesco and the Economic and Social Council. Since the United Nations was organised in 1945, Rotary has. been represented by observers at most of the important United Nations meetings held in various parts of the world. The Rotary movement has interested itself in many aspects of community life. They are behind the Crippled Children’s Society and help with under-privileged children. Since the end of World War II they have sent to Europe 12,000 food parcels.

Foundation in Ashburton The Ashburton Rotary Club was formed in April, 1937. It has ljad several meeting places, but is now quartered in the Community Centre rooms. It has a membership of 34, and during- the years has been within one or two or that number. This club was sponsored by the late William Thomas, of Timaru, who was then District Governor. During the course of its life the club has assisted in many community betterment schemes. It was responsible for the formation of the local Crippled Children’s Society and Heritage. The club has assisted the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, and continues to do so. It has established a Youth Day for Ashburton which is to be an annual affair, which allows small organisations to join in one big field day, thus giving them an opportunity to appear before the public. -The club has adopted the Shipley Club in England for purposes of sending food parcels for distribution to those who need them. Recently this club received from Shipley a gong suitably inscribed for use at the Rotary luncheons. Members of Rotary clubs may go to any Rotary club in the world and they will be welcomed. The local club has entertained Rotarians from most countries, and some of the local members are going to England, where it is their intention to contact as many clubs as possible. The formation of a Rotary Club in Ashburton has been well worth while.

'MR HOLLAND’S MESSAGE (P.A.) - AUCKLAND, Feb. 21. “Rotary .sets a much-needed example in the world,” said the. Prime Minister (Mr Holland) in a message of greeting on the forty-fifth anniversary of Rotary International. “No-one can judge the full effect which Rotary has on the welfare of the world, but noone can doubt that Rotary is one of the major planks in- the structure of all freedom-loving countries. “On the one hand as an organisation it frequently makes itself responsible for the care'of particular people or groups who are unable to secure as much of the good things of life as they might. On the other hand, individual Rotarians serve in their

personal capacities in so many groups and associations with humanitarian aims.”

Mr Holland said that as an old Rotarian he felt diffident about speaking eulogistically about the magnificent spirit and great work of the movement; as Prime. Minister, however, he could speak on behalf of the people of New Zealand to express their congratulations to Rotary on the passing of its forty-fifth anniversary.