ROTARIANS FROM AFAR

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 40, 3 March 1937, Page 5

ROTARIANS FROM AFAR

i— Press Association.)

Big Pacific Conference Opens At Wellington WORLD-WIDE IDEALS

(By 'PeleBrapti

WELLINGTON, Last Night. Through the influence of Rotary a big change for the better had taken place in many communities in recent years, said the Hon. H. G. R, ^Mason, Attomey-General, in opening the Pacific Rotary Conference in Wellington to-day, Rotary was working in accordance with evolution, and was really one of the world's great forces. The conference chairman is the district Governor, Mr. Will Thomas, of Timaru, and Rotarians from all paris of New Zealand. are attending. There are about 40 delegates from overseas, representiug Australia, Canada, ^apan, Dutch East Indies, Hawaii, Ohina, and Manila. Proceedings opened with prayer led by the Rev. H. W. Newell. A' welcome to the visitors was extended by Mr. .Harry E. Anderson, president of the Wellington Eotary Club. The Attoruey-General expressed ret gret at the inability of the Prime Minister to be present. In Mr. Savage'a absence, and on behalf of fche Government, he extended a very hearty welcome to the conference, aiid more particularly to those who had come from afar. Rotary had grown to be of such world-wide importance that there were few who were not acquainted with its ideals, to some extent at least. During its existence, which hardiy covered more than a generation, it had worked what niight fairly be called a .transforiqation in the outl'ook of m&ny communities. Mr. Mason imentioned the value he placed upon the ideal of serivce expressed in the Rotary movement and emphasised the importance of the spirit of goodwill paxticularly in preserving peaceful international relations. The Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, also expressed his best wishes for a suceessful conference. He referred to the ideal of service before self, and said that as he understood it the real meaning of the term was that one must think of the tusk itself rather than of the reward. All could subscribe to that basic principle, but let them not subscribe to it to the extent of utterly forgetting self. Unless they got socna reward they could not0develop all those things that made for a full and activ« life. An address on Rotary 's aims and objeets was given by the District Governor at the afternoon session. In Rotary, he said, there was no thought of trying to bring the nations of the world under one rule or dominion. The Rotarian was loyal to his own country. Instead of a flabby type of internationalism, Rotary 's objective was to get all the nations of the world eommitted to a "good neighbour" poliey. Representatives of Australia, Canada, Ohina, Hawaii, Japan, New Zealand *and the Philippine Islands took part in a discussion on "Significant activities and projected plans of Rotary clnbs in countries bordering on the Pacific. ' ' The conference will resume to-mor-row riiorninsr.