ROTARY CLUB

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 58, 25 July 1947, Page 5

ROTARY CLUB

THE ‘FOUR SERVICES’ WEEKLY LUNCHEON The weekly meeting of the Whakatane Rotary Club took place at the Heads tearooms last Wednesday, with Rotarian Harry Warren in the chair and Past District Governor Harold Thomas of Auckland as the speaker. There was the usual good attendance with visitors from Paeroa, Gisborne and Melbourne.

Rotarian Harold Thomas in clear and concise manner set out the four aims of the Rotary movement, and declared that the time would come when the whole town would appreciate the work of Rotary, and when every member would look upon his association with the movement with the greatest pleasure. The four aims were: (1) Club Service. (2) Vocational Service. (3) Community Service. (4) International Service. Rotarianism, he said dealt a shrewd blow at. snobbery, which after all was even prevalent in the Dominion. It was a deep-rooted organisation reaching out into all branches of trade and profession and could be defined as ‘friendship in action.’ ' , Speaking of the movement in New Zealand he declared that the past president of Rotary International

had given as his opinion that the best twenty-five clubs in any one country belonged to the Dominion. This was a high tribute coming from such a man. The speaker endeavoured to show how Rotary differed from most other social and cultural organisations, and stressed the word ‘service’ which was the keynote of all gatherings and objectives.

Rotarian Thomas spoke on the spiritual basis of the movement, quoting the ex-primate of New Zealand (Archbishop Averill) who y/as an ardent Rotarian, and who had given it as his opinion that it was identical with the spirit of Christianity, applied on practical lines for the maintenance of international goodwill and peace. There were, he said 6000 Rotary clubs throughout the world with 200,000 members. These were spread over 80 different countries and were a potent power

for goodwill both within and without.

Each Rotarian had a definite responsibility as an individual to do something in Rotary. It was a separate and distinct organisation which threw the onus of giving service upon its members. In return it offered the privileges and pleasures of good fellowship and lasting friendships.

Rotarian Thomas was accorded a hearty vote of thanks on the motion of Rotarian Leonard Buddie who declared that he had answered many of the queries which had arisen in the minds of members since the local club was inaugurated.