Evening journal., 1920-02-26

.
"Of course. Il wo followed literally
this plan VIC would soon IND our week
ly attendance so large tliat the esteemed
hosts would have dIflculty IN entertain
: lng and The plan would eventually he
coine impractcable, Rs It did with The
original club. We will continue 10 pa
tronlzo Ernest Taitc, thOueh we bowal
at times tho size OF Tho coffee cups
''As other members were admitted TO
tho new club, Tho principle OF having
. only one representative from each husi-
ness or profession was SIN adhered TO-
, This unique plan was one OF tho fe0-
tnreawllch distinguished tho club from
other organizations. and served 90 slis-
tain Interest IN tho club promote at
tendance, and make a member place a
higher valuation on his membership
Time has proved it 20 be q plan adapt
able TO The smaller cities es well as The
larger ones. Such a membership. made
lof but one member carefully solicited
from each business or profession, Is
truly representative Of the community
such a body of men becomes an Ideal
forum FOR the discussion Of business
questions and FOR the consideration OF
makers OF concern both 10 the public
and TO the trades and the professions.
United action by the club Is much easier
than by large and cumbersome mem
bershlp OF several hundred or several
thousand Following This plan. it Is i'm
possible for any ono profession or group
! OF professions 20 become numerically
strong enough 90 dominate tho policy OF
the club. Not two, but only one Of a
/ kind IS The deslr0 FOR what could bo
done with two explosive Charlia's or
two interior decorators since Julyt
"1hc business man Is benefited by RO-
tary association. 10 tends 10 IN him
ont OF the rut Of his own business rou-
tine, thereby giving him o broader ami
more sympathetic understanding OF
other business and professions. II as
s'sts in tearing him away from himself
without access 10 tho bancful Influences
of the pink STOCKINGS OF the girlic-girlie
show, Instituted entirely FOR tho relief
OF the tired business man.
Most OF oil. This plan has Increased
the efficiency OF the club Itself by giving
the oflclais a lever FOR tho removal Of
any 'dead timber" from tho momhor-
ship. The club can. and does insist
upon regular attendance and active par
ticipati0n or the surrender Of member |
ship 10 some one else In the same llne !
OF business. That This rule is rls'dly |
observed Is one OF the reasons why |
membership in Rotary Is considered so /
hiehlv. And II is The duty, and not the |
prerogative. OF our esteemed secretary. |
Jack krauss. whose wonderfully wavy 4
hair might have entitled him 20 motion 4
picture fans 10 warn those OF protract- |
ed absence that they are Going, Going,
Comet
III was not entirely due 10 the fact
that the easiest way 20 a mans heart
Is through his stomach that The weekly
iuncheons and monthly evening meet
ings OF the original club proved so ef-
fectlve The main reason was that the
idea WAS right. and 10 was
within but a short time that the MEM
bership had grown 20 a half-hundred
With true Rotary spirit, the light was
not hidden under a bushel. and other
cities began 10 inquire about purposes
and methods: but It was decided that 10
was best 10 walt until time had proven
the experiment successful before giving
encouragement 20 the organizatlon Of
clubs in other cities.
Tn 1908. Just three years after the
first meeting, the second Rotary Club
was organized In San Francisco. and
other clubs soon followed on the Pacific
Coast and then the movement spread
10 the East and 90 the South. until six
Teen clubs had been organized by the
md OF 1910 These clubs were all the
result OF seed sOwn more or less acci- ,
ienlally by the individual members, |
who had been enthused by the Rotary
dea and given tlieir time and money |
without thouaht of personal gain.
'ln unity there IS strength so In 1910
he first convention was called. and the /
lationsfassociation formed BY this time ,
precedent and procedure had become ,
thoroughly established and the afore-
mentioned attorney. Paul p. Harris
VAS honorod by being elected the first +,
president OF the organization. Chesley ,
r. Perry who was secretary OF the ;
chicago Club. and who, with Harris,
Vas largely responsible for calling To-
yether this frst general meeting. was !
'lected secretary. So well did he per- j
0rm his duty that he continues in the q
iame position OF trust and esteem. Har- z
Is has since been honored by the title 7
II president emeritus. There was only d
me other meeting Of the truly national
association. which was held IN Port !
and, oregon, in 1911.
Following this convention. some y
'aleb OF Joshua, OF Winnipeg. Canada. {
rad spied out the good things OF Rotary,
md had organized a local club. and b
he really, truly chappies OF London %
rad decided that Il was a good thing % /
emulate their example. To make pro- b
visions for these clubs. 70 was decided
Il the Duluth meeting in 1912 10 change s
ne organization from a national 90 an Z
association. At this time 4
here were 40 clubs in existence, stnl {
themselves within the liml- a
ations Of the English language and The n
ess expressive British tongue. q
This growth had been entirely spon- (
aneous. At no time had the organlza- r
Ion employed paid organizers. on the b
lther hand, extreme care was exercised 1
n surveying cities and towns applying .
'or membership to make sure that such r
communities were ready for a Rotary +
Club and were OF sufficient size TO sup !
ply a membership Of representative i
men and still have the membership re- i
stricted TO one man from each bust !
ness OF profession. In fact, there were !
Times when the clamor for membership
had more the atmosphere Of a well lub- ,
ricated wake in a prohibition COM :
munity, where it was necessary 10 turn =,
applicants away at the door. From an .
parts Of The United States and Canada
came requests from business men who
had heard Of this new lever for the
welfare and wanted 10 es-
tQhlieh clubs in their elites