SPIRIT OF ROTARY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 152, 15 July 1937, Page 12

SPIRIT OF ROTARY

Archbishop's Address Tlie unity of the spirit of Cliristiauifcy with that of Botary was stressed by Archbishop Ayerill at the church parade of the Auckland club held at St. Mary's Cathedral Chureh. The new president, Mr. H. Thomas, led a large attendance of RotaTy members. "The principle of liberty and freedom is ingrained an the very moral fibre of the British people," said the Archbishop. "They value freedom all the more when they see how the freedom of the individual is curtailed under forms of government whieh defy the State and give it complete and total>itarian powers over body, mind and apirit. They see, too, that men and nations lose their sense of freedom when they lose their sense of God. ' ' It wa® the duty of the State or soiriety, said his Grace, not to live selfpentrfd livesj but to try to gi,ve to •£!

mcn the opportunity of being fi'ee and living a good ljfe. . "I do not suppose that my fellow Rotarians, whom I welcome to this cliurch tO-Aight, will realise iu these remarks any connection with the principles of Rotary," said the Archbishop, "but while Botary does not profess to be a religious movement, I have alwayis felt that the spirit of Botary is closely allied to that of Christianity. " His Grace said he thought Botary was building better than it knew, and there was something deeper an its brotherhood than would be gathergd in ordinary fellowship meetings. Botary did not, seek to minimise raeial traits, but it taught that selfish, narrowminded nationalism was contrary to tho spirit of Christ.