The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-16
MYTH a strange. effervescent veil
" OF mystery lowering about 1t,
there has sprung up IN

there has sprung up IN TINS
N0ftry an organization such as no
s .Aer that has ever existed.
I Everywhere people are asking
What is the Rotary club?'' And every
where people are answering: Il don't
exactly know"
The circumstance Is peculiar for Ro-
tarians repeatedly Insist that the last
thing about any phase of their club or
its existence is anything mysterious.
An explanation is difficult for there
may be dozens of different reasons, but
the most popular explanation is that
the Rotarians have sprung into exis-
tence like a mushroom in the night.
They have come from nowhere In par
ticular. They're Just here.
The very cardinal principle behind
the club is probably another factor In
lending growth to this mystery bug
aboo. This principle is that only one
man of each, business or profession
can be a member of a local club at
the same time This is revolutionary
1t is something entirely new and there
Is no doubt 1t has had much to do with
the feeling of aloofness which the av-
erage citizen experiences when he hears
the name Rotary"
Shade of Mystery Will Pass
There seems no doubt however. but
what this shade of mystery will pass
with the passing of Rotarlan youth.
The entire international organization is
but eight years old and yet it covers
every state in the United States and
practically every nation in Europe. The
Birmingham local Is but 10 months old
and 1t Is one of the leading clubs of
the south.
In the 10 months that Rotary club
has existed in Birmingham the public
has come to know much more about
the organization and public appre-
citation of its influence in many ways
is being strongly developed. The ''mys
terious' mystery Is slowly but surely
passing. People are realizing that the
club is not a secret organization, not
a selfish organization, not mercenary
organization, not a society organiza-
tion. The Birmingham Rotary clup
has identified itself with every civic.
educational, moral and uplifting move
ment in the community and what's
more it has been demonstrated beyond
question that the clubs Influence car
ries with 1t tremendous power.
The local club was organized in
February. 1918, with few members
and it now has a membership of 11o.
Harry Wheelock. the architect, and one
Of the best known men In the city. S
It's president. The vice president is
J. r Shelby. who also was recently
elected vice president of the interna
fional organization. The local clubs
membership Is composed of some OF
the best known and most influential
men of the city.
First Rotary Club
The first Rotary club was organ
lied in Chicago. ILL.,, in 1906 by a young
lawyer named Paul p. Harris. The
idea caught like wiIdfire and within
few years local clubs had been or
ganized all over the country and soon
after it became an international or
ganization. Annual meetings or con-
ventions of the international Associa-
tfon OF Rotary clubs are attended by
delegates from all parts of the world.
The local clubs hold weekly luncheons
and social and business session every
Wednesday at noon and business
meeting is held once month.
One of the features OF Rotarianism
is "The Rotarian," the Rotary maga
zine published every month, with ches-
ter e. Perry editor and business man
ager. 1t is a modernly compiled mag
azine and each issue is devoted 10
boosting some city where there is
Rotary club. The Birmingham issue of
;e, hai r.
TO with great interest by both Rota--
ians and the public at large in Bir-
mingham. Birmingham and Montgom-
cry are the only two clubs In Alabama,
the ontgomery club being organized
but a few weeks ago. Atlanta has
very live club which was organized
n few months ago and the visit OF the
Atlanta club to Birmingham not long
ago Is we'll remembered here.
What Rotarians all over the world
consider one OF the best things of Ro-
tarianism ever produced was the ad-
dress last August at Buffalo, n. Y,
of Allen =. Albert, on THE True Mean
ing, Purpose and Opportunity of Ro-
4ary.o Mr.. Albert is n member of the
Rotary club of Minneapolis, Minn., and
the occasion of the speech was the
1918 annual convention of the Inter
national Association of Rotary clubs.
No clearer and entertaining presenta-
ton of the Rotary idea can be given
than by a perusal of Mr. Albert's ad-
dress. II follows:
1.-The wheel of Rotary has ever turned
modestly. We who are the cogs of the
wheel have had delight in the music of
its turning. But we have never been un-
mindful of our responsibility TO the power
which revolves it and which interocks
our lives in 50 cities with those of a
brotherhood still more wide.
Expression of Faith in Self
''Rotary is an expression of the faith
of the modern man in himself, of his
realization that he can be true to himself
only when he is true to his neighbor, OF
his high aspiration that with however
many wheels of contact his own fife may
impinge, the direction of his turning will
be toward kindly judgment, efficient sym
pathy and neighhorliness.
1--WE have all come TO realize that our
age is transitional. Here in America we
have announced an ideal OF splendid self
reliance The expression of that ideal
required OF us, first, the organization
of a government based upon individual
selg,reliance and then the upbuiiding of
an Industrial life, in which self,reliance
rbo,,Id ofta IN tho greatest DOsSible re-