Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1921-02-27

ally an additional man from the same
firm is permitted
The Beginning of Rotary
Nearly 500 clubs are uniting in the
birthday celebration this year. These
clubs are scattered throughout the
United States and in Canada, Great
Britain, Cuba and many other foreign
countries.
Rotary had its beginning in 1905,
when four men met in a Chicago office
building. The need which brought these
men together was plain '1onesomeness'
the longing of one man for compan-
ionship. This man is Paul p Harris,
an attorney. who, as one of this group
of four, called in the other three for
the purpose of starting an unnamed
club, which should have for its object
closer personal mountaineering among
its members, each of whom, as the
numbers grew, should be selected from
a. line of business or profession which
was not already represented. The first
four "elassifications' were represented
by a lawyer, a coal dealer, coal ope-
rator and a merchant tailor. A printer
was the fifth man to be added to the
group. Mr.. Harris is still an active
member of the Chicago club.
Origin Of Name Rotary"
Many different ideas are in circula-
ton as to the origin of the name
Rotary" as applied to Rotary clubs.
one example VIII serve 10 llluStldtC LIE
character of the many different con-
ceptions Two transfers ance noticed
a string of automobiles decorated with
Rotary banners. One car became
stalled and one of. the transfers, ex-
amining the Rotary emblem or the
wheel was overheard to carefully cK-
plain to the others that the Rotarians
were wagon makers and that their en-
blem was the wagon wheel, so that the
name Rotary was chosen because
wagon wheel has a rotary notion
However, the true facts are that "Ro-
tary'' was decided upon because the
members of the new club had been IN
the habit of holding their meetings III
rotation in the places OF business Oh
the different members.
AS Rotation Club" was somewhat
inapt. they decided to adopt shorter
form and call it the Rotary Clup,
This plan of meeting from place TO
Mace was continued for some time
until the membership became so large
as to make its continuance imprac
ticable. But this custom. although OF
short duration. was responsible for
one of the features that is observed
TODAY in many Rotary clubs-the BUS
mess service talks given by members,
| showing how the Rotary idea of serv-
ice has been applied to their work
Why the Limited Membership?
.
| that the membership shall be made UP
/ of men of different businesses and
professions. 1t is not possible, for ex-
! ample for the membership to contain
two retail grocers. each from a differ
ent firm, although it is possible Tor
| the club to contain two retail grocers
if both are from the same firm ana
| both are acceptable to the club. How
ever. most classifications are repre-
! sented by only one man. This plan
has prevailed from the beginning, and
seems to be applicable to small cities
as well as large in establishing the
stability of Rotary Several reasons
were presented at the meeting for this
plan of limited membership. 1t was
shown that such an arrangement in
/ sures the fullest representation of the
community, while at the same time it
/ is impossible for the membership to
become so large and unwieldy as to
make difficult the promotion of ac-
i uuaintanceship and intimate friend
ship among members. United action
| by the club is also much easier than
i with a large, cumbersome member
Ship The smal1ness of the club and
! its representation of so many varied
interests, provides an excellent forum
for the discussion of problems of the
4 public welfare. No one profession or
allied profession can become numer-
ically strong enough In the club to
dominate it. The plan also enables the
/ club to insist upon the regular at
tendance of it's members, each of
whom must be present regularly at
the club sessions or "step out and
make room for someone who is will
ing to represent the classification
This limited membership also enables
each business and professional man to
have a more sympathetic understand
fession represented, thus lifting him
out of the narrow rut of his own bust
ness routine and giving him sugges-
tions and information obtainable in no
other way. Membership in Rotary is