ROTARY CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 131, 2 March 1928, Page 6

ROTARY CONFERENCE

SECOND DAY’S BUSINESS GROUPS COMMENCE WORK Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, March 1. The second day of the sixth annual conference of the Rotary Clubs of New Zealand, at present being held in Palmerston North, opened with the assembly and the pronouncement of the invocation, after which the various groups, formed to go into questions affecting Rotary and its work, and to bring down resolutions on their subjects to the open conference to-morrow, retired to consider their business. The various groups, together with their personnel and their objects, are as -follow:— Educational and Vocational Service Group.—A statement covering the methods of education and the work of the education committee was brought forward by Mr. C. L. MaeDiarmid (Hamilton), and Mr. A. E. O’Meara (Hastings) delivered an address on “Vocational Service.” The personnel of the group was as follows:—Messrs. Mac Diarmid, Green, Trelour, and House (Hamilton), J. Hutchison (Dunedin), F. W. I. Belton (Christchurch), S. A. Longuet, F. W. Rowe, F. W. Vickerman, E. Marsden and W. E. Herbert (Wellington), C. F. A. Whiteford (Blenheim), R. Wallace and M. F. Constable (Napier), R. J. Young and H. Hale-Taylor (Masterton), L. Cohen, O. Holst, P. Higginbottom, 11. J Grieve, W. J. Gilberd and T. H. Rice (Wanganui) and G. A. Nicholls (Gisborne). Boys’ Work Group:—Addresses were delivered on “The opportunity of service to the community offered by work among boys,” and the question of Rotary helping existing boys’ work organisations by Messrs. L. T Watkins (Wellington) and F. M. Keesing (Palmerston North) respectively, and a discussion also took place on girls’ work. The personnel of the group was as follows:—Messrs. Miller and Clark (Hamilton), J. A. Dalgety, W. M. Thompson, F. W. Horner (Hawera), V. Jacobs and W. J. Meek (Dunedin), A. W. Beaven (Christchurch, J. E. Shanly and G. W. Spragg (Auckland), N. B. Gibbons, W. E. Jackson, L. T. Watkins, and P. C. Watt (Wellington), C. W. Parker (Blenheim), W. H. Harris and H. Anderson (Napier), F. Milner, C.M.G. (Oamaru), H. E. Hart, A. D Low, A. Donald, S. McLelland and E. M. Hodder (Masterton), W. Thomas (Timaru), D. A. C. Lilburne, W. J. Mummery, N. Fulton, G. R. Cramond, and Dr. 11. D. Robertson (Wanganui) . Community Service Group.—An address covering the general subject of community service in relation to Rotary was delivered by Mr. H. M. Peacock (Masterton), and a discussion was held as to whether Rotary should and could be extended to country people. The personnel was Messrs. B. McCarthy, W. Spragg and C. D. Dickie (Hawera), A. Smellie (Dunedin), C. E. Jones (Christchurch), R. L. Stewart and J. W. Tattersfield (Auckland), D. J. McGowan, H. -Amos, J. Myers, C. Norwood and A. Waterworth (Wellington), R. P. Furness (Blenheim), R. W. Wallace, M. F. Constable and H. S. Cotterill (Napier), H. M. Peacock and H. E. Pither (Masterton), W. T. D. Revell (Timaru), A. Nesbit Smith, R. G. Taiboys, R. J. Jackson, F. Symes, and Dr. A. H. E. Wall (Wanganui), Messrs. H. R. French (Hastings), W. G. Grave (Oamaru), and A. Stoneham (Gisborne). Membership and Classification Group.—Personnel: Messrs. W. Sutton and L. A. Bone (Hawera), H. J. Guthrie (Dunedin), P. S. Foster (Christchurch), W. J. Fletcher and W. Coltman (Auckland), D. S. Smith (Wellington), F. Mogridge (Blenheim), J. H. Edmundson (Napier), J. B. Murray, J. Ninnes and F. W. Kummer (Masterton), Johnson (Hamilton), W. Thomas (Timaru), G. Roach (Hastings), G. S. Gordon, W. J. Gibson, J. T. Werry, D. Meldrum and P. N. Bethwaite (Wanganui), and C. Adah- (Gisborne). Fellowship and Attendance Group. —Personnel: Messrs. J. D. Smith (Hamilton), W. A. O’Callaghan, J. C. Smith ano W. Crompton (Hawera), J. IV. Smeaton (Dunedin), M. Stewart (Christchurch), Hon. G. Fowlds, Messrs. S. H. Leyland, W. D. Munn and R. Angus (Auckland), E. Bull, A. J. Hurn, A. Newton, DI. E. Denniston and J. W. Carr (Wellington), C. W. Parker (Blenheim), H. Steele, L. Pickering and J. R. Ross (Napier), N. H. James, and R. Page (Masterton), W. T. D. Revell (Timaru), H. J. Duigan, J. Hodson, P. Palmer, W z . J. Stone, F. N. Bethwaite, A. McSkimming (Wanganui), S. J. Weston and H. W. Crawford (Whangarei). Presidents’ and Vice-Presidents’ Group.—A discussion was held on club administration in its various aspects. The personnel was Messrs. T. J. Salmon and J. A. Duffill (Hawera), G. Boyes and H. Valder (Hamilton), J. B. Waters (Dunedin), P. S. Foster (Christchurch), W. J. Holdsworth and G. W. Hutchison (Auckland), D. S. Smith and D. J. McGowan (Wellington), R. P. Furness (Blenheim), J. A. Cowie (Masterton), W. Thomas (Timaru), J. Coull and J. R. Foster (Wanganui), A. Giorgi (Hastings), N. J. C. Runciman (Dannevirke) and N. I. Penn, (New Plymouth), Mr. J. Murray, president of the Palmerston North Club, was the chairman.

Secretaries’ and Treasurers’ Groups.—A discussion was held on the relationship of the secretary of a club to the institutions and other officials of Rotary, and to outside or. ganisations. Mr. G. W. Hutchison (Auckland), presided, the personnel being as follows: Messrs. A. K. Fyson (Hawera), Vickery (Hamilton), \V. R. Brown (Dunedin), A. J. Hutchison and H. C. McCoy (Auckland), H. Amos (Wellington), F. Mogridge (Blenheim), R. M. Chadwick (Na-, pier), R. Lee and G. W. Sellar (Mas. t'erton), W. T. D. Revell (Timaru), A. R. Donaldson and T. Ballingall (Wanganui),' and F. Perrin (Hastings). The resolutions (if any) of these committees will be put before the conference to-morrow, when they will be discussed by the delegates. A notice of motion has been given by Mr H. Amos (Wellington, “That the conference consider the advisability of New Zealand Rotary supporting (1) the New Zealand Olympic Association, and (2) the Associaton for the Advancement of Education,” as two of the main activities for the coming year. Rotary and International Relationships. In the afternoon session of the conference addresses were delivered on the question of “How can Rotarv assist in the improvement of the relations between countries on the Pacific Ocean ?”

Mr. W. D. Munn (Auckland) dealt with the question from au economic standpoint Before much could be done towards the development of the sixth

object in Rotarv, he said, it was imperative that all prejudice and intolerance be cast overboard, and that a sympathetic attitude be adopted towards those considered as foreigners. The colour prejudice was born in us, said the speaker, and white people seemed to consider themselves superior to the other races; but it was certain each had something to learn from the other. A better understanding was necessary, and though personal contact was almost essential to accomplish this, the next best thing was interchange of thought by correspondence, and Rotarians should give serious consideration to correspondence with Rotarians in other countries. Dlr. Dlunn continued at length to describe various means by which this inter-correspondence—which, he said, was a difficult thing to inaugurate—could be accomplished. Reading.afforded another opportunity of acquiring the desired knowledge, and opportunities along these lines were inexhaustible, and formed a most interesting line of studv. The speaker concluded with dealing with the call for better understanding with the United States. Dr. S. Foster addressed the gathering, dealing with the same subject from a social and political standpoint. One had to consider, he said, that Rotary had as vet not been adopted in several countries bordering the Pacific. The speaker referred to the Pan-Pacific conference to be held in the near future in Japan, which was a country which, he considered, now to be holding out the olive branch io other nations of the world New Zealand would not be doing its duty if it did not accept the hand of friendship. Rotary could assist, for it was by mixing and talking with peoples of different lands that good relations were formed, and in the meantime much could be done by entertaining the visitors of other lands who might come to the Dominion. The Press, the speaker considered, was not using its power to promote good relationship between nations, and it was important that scientists should learn that their efforts should be directed towards things that produced rather than those that destroyed. Following these addresses a general discussion "took place, after which the conference adjourned until to-morrow. To-night the visitors were entertained at the Opera House, when there was a concert at which some of the town’s best talent appeared.