The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-18
TOTAL LOOT NOW ORGANIZED
Rotary Idea Started by Chicago
Business Men.
First Convention of National
Association Held in 1910.

Rotary clubs thruout the United
states and Canada will celebrate dur
ing the coming week, the seventeenth
anniversary of the discovery OF the
Rotary idea. February %, 1900 the
first Rotary club was organized III
Chicago.
Topeka Rotarians TO Celebrate.
on the same date this year the To-
peka club will celebrate the birthday
with a dinner party to when the La
lilies of the members have been III
Nited The Topeka club is numbered
1870 in the 1901 clubs now orgahlzeu.
The Topeka club was organized IN
July, 1914. .ooz
Rotary had its beginning in 19VS'
when four men met in chicago o.
flee building. The need when prousHI
these men together was PLAIN lone
someness''-the longing of one man
for connanionships 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 start
ing an unnamed club. which shoulG
have for its object a closer personal
mountaineering among its members
each of whom, as the numbers grew
should be selected from line of bust
ness or profession which was not al
ready represented. The first Tour
considerations were represented by
Z. LAWYER. a coal dealer, a coal operator
and a merchant tailor. printer was
the fifth man TO be added to the
group Mr.. Harris is still an active
member of the Chicago club.
Experiment Was a Success.
The Chicago experiments proved to
I've a success. The group grew stead
iiv. Its fame spread slowly, and there
was no suggestion of its expansion be
vond the borders of that city until
three years after the first meeting
when one of the Caicago men, Wnlle
on a visit to San Francisco, implanted
the~idea which resulted in the organ
ization of the second club. Other
clubs were then formed on the Pacl1lc
coast. and then the movement spread
10 the east and then to the south.
In 1910 the first convention was held
and the National Association 1ormeu'
This first session was held IN Chlcaso'
and general officers elected and con-
stitution adopted
which was held in Duluth, Mimi, a
club had been organized at winnipeg
Canada and at the convention caple
was received from London, England
asking for charter. To make pro-
vision for these clubs, the convention
took action changing the organization
from a national to an lnternatlollal
association.
Made Rapid Growth.
Since then the growth of Rotary
has been by leaps and bounds. There
are now more than one thousand clubs
in TWENTY-FIVE countries. In Great
Britain and Ireland there are forty
nine clubs, and other Rotary cities m
clude Paris, France; Madrid, SPAN ;
Auckland and wellington, New yea
land: Melbourne. Australia; johannes
burg South Africa; Buenos Aires Ar
gentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; san
Juan and Ponce. Porto Rico; Panama
CITY and Colon, Panama; Honolulu
and Hilo, Hawaii; Manila, Philip
pines: Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai China,
and Calcutta, India. At the present
time there is much activity among the
business and professional men OF
other countries seeking to organize
Clubs chiefly in Brazil, Chile, Peru,
Denmark, Sweden, and clubs are in
process of orga uizaton in Christiania
Norway. and Amsterdam, Holland.
The Rotary platform is a concise
statement of the principles and ethics
guiding and actuating all Rotary clubs
The Rotary club demands fair deal
ings honest methods, and nigh stand
ards in business" is the theme of this
platform, and its last sentence, HE
Profits Most Who Serves Best has
been adopted as the official slogan.
To Rotarians life is an investment
not measured in terms of dollars but
in terms of the faithful discharge of
mans highest duties to those with
whom he has any kind of association.
The governor of one of the greatest
states in the United States has said
that Rotary is able to catch the
heartbeat-the harmony of life-and
put it into action