NEW ROTARY DISTRICT

Chronicle (Levin), 19 March 1946, Page 8

NEW ROTARY DISTRICT

Fulure Policies Dealt With world membership The conference of the Rotary Clubs now being held in Napier is the last at which the clubs will meet as units of the 53rd District. From July of this year all clubs in the territory north of and including Woodville and Palmerston North will constitute a new district— No. 52— and clubs south of this line retain the titie of the 53rd District. Reierence to the new system was made at this morning's session of the conference by Rotarian John M. A. Iiott, official representativ^ of Rotary InternatiQnal, when replying 00 an address of welcome. He poirited out that although each district womd have its own District Gov^rnor, assem.biies and conferences m the future he hoped that where possible mvitations will be extended to tn j sister district to attend weekena forums. "Also," he added, "we meet at the birth of an almost entirely new world— one which is now aware of the developments of the atomic bomb. With its fearful potentialities for good and for evil it should mean that war has been banished for ever." MEMBERSHIP OF 256,000 Dealing with the construction of Rotary International Rotarian Ilott reveaied that in the 60-odd countries in which Rotary flourished oiiere were approximaieiy 5600 clubs with a membership of over. 256,000. Rotary International was entrusted Vvith the task of developing and supervising Rotary throughout the world, The plari under which Rotary InternationsQ operated was 1 the result of careful study t and scrutiny by many of the world's | best business brains, who have | given continuous thought to the j matter. Last year, a major step | forward was taken by the establish- : ment of a presidents' council, with a membership of the 10 most recent I presidents in Rotary. A new mem1 ber was elected each year and thus : both continuity and a fresh view- : point were assured. Last year Rotary International had added 248 clubs to its total — Ihe largest in any year since the war began. This year 193 new j ciubs had been added. Clubs in the countries from which they were suppressed were coming back jrapidJy into the fellowship. Alreaay contact had been made with 08 of i tlie suppressed clubs in Europe, 1 jwhile several of the clubs in the j Philippines and Far East had rej started. In addition many of the important flgures at San Francisco were members of the Rotary movei ment.

FUTURE POLICIES j Turning to the problems and ; policies of future- wars. Rot^v-qn Ilott stated that at the present time ; they were adamg 2u,uuu new memI bers each year. That number would j be stepped up, but even on that j basis they would have 10,000 new j Rotarians in five years. "Let us see i fco it that they are made true | Rotarians," he added. "This throws j a great responsibility on the officers and educational committees of the various clubs. It is of vital import- | ance also to see that we keep Rotary young." In tlie coming years tens of thousands of members of-*- Rotary j would be on the move and many ! thousands of them would visit New i Zealand. London was only 62 hours !away and the U.S. 48 hours away. He urged the delegates to begin now to prepare for the visitors so that they could take away with them impressions of a friendly people. "We mobilised for war, now let us mobilise for peace," he continued. "Man started with the stone-age, went to the bronze-age, then to the iron-age, then to the steel-age and is now entering the atomic-age, which holds amazing Rossibilities for mankind as a whole, provided the great advances in science and industry are used for the benefit of all and provided we can live together and work together as communities and nations in the widest sphere. . - "The work of world reconstruction and. rehabilitation. involving the revival of trade and industry the world over, seems almost beyond human power, yet it can be done. If we will do our duty and if we face the future in an optimistic spirit with the desire to render service we can make a real contribution."