Evening star., 1922-01-22
HELD TO CONVEY SPIRIT
OF THE NEW CITIZENSHIP
Aims and Activities of the Rotary Kiwanis
And Ciuitan Organizations, Respec-
tireb, Explained.
BY w. HI. CLAGETT.

BY w. H. CLAGETT.
What Is Rotary?
What Is kiwanis?
What Is Civitan?
Repeatedly are these questions
asked by persons unfamiliar with
the aims and activities Of three or
ganizations in the city which. in
recent address by Col. John Temple
Graves, were referred to as "the
conveyors Of the spirit Of the new
citizenship of the world"
fundamental principle--service-the
ideals of the three bodies are the
product Of the collective ideaHsm OF
those busy, practical men, who. as
Rotarians, Kiwanians and CtV1tans.
are drawn together to further closer
social and business relations with
one another and to foster all civic
movements inaugurated by the au-
thorities for the betterment OF the
community as whole.
A detailed description OF the work
inss of any one Of the trio would.
perhaps, give a comprehensive idea
of the other two. but. as there are
differences in the histories. methods
of procedure and general organiza-
ton of the three clubs, brief out
line of each will be given separately.
Non-sectarian. Non-POlitical.
It might be said here. however.
that all three organizations are con.
Quoted on a purely non-sectarian and
non-political basis. On the member
ship rosters of each club VIII %
found republicans. democrats, mid
die of the road" advocates. Prot
estants, Catholics and Jews. In fact.
regarding this phase Of eligibllity 70
membership in any OF the three Or
ganizations it would not be stretch-
ing a point to paraphrase famous
for ali, and make it read: "Who enter
here leave religious. racial and po-
Ntical prejudices behind"
The motto Of Rotary Is Service
Above Self-He Profits Most VINO
Serves Best; that of Kiwanis. I'VE
Build" while the slogan Of the baby,
Civitan, is Builders of Good Citizen
ship"
can-born and. while the activitles o!
to an international scope. to the
principles, of true, unaduiterateo
Americanism can be attributed the
wonderful growth Of each during the
p1 Recoenizing the commercial basis
of modern life as a necessity Incl
dent in human evolution, Rotary. the
oldest of the trio. was organized 10
express that proper relation petweeR
nriyate interests and the fusion OF
private interests which constitutes
society.
Paul b. Harris, Founder.
The father of this world-known or
vanization. who also served as first
president of Rotary, is an attorney
IN chicago. Paul p. Harris, who in
the wears following his university
career, had travelled about the world
making acQuaintances OF many pso-
MES and many lands.~ After returning
10 the United States he went to chi
caso with the intention Of practicing
his profession in that city. There ne
met the same fate that awaits many
who go as strangers TO to .autnds deaseiy y
the average intellectual mans lot
who finds himself q stranger in a
iaree city, where the chief stimulus
to thought in the ordinary nina 10
money, the getting and the spending
thereof, without regard TO the 1eiio"
man. ~
This circumstance gave birth to
the idea of founding a club wherein
the members might not only become
acquainted with one another. but also
TO devise means OF proving useiui 70
Themselves at the same time more
proficient in service toward their tel,
Very shortly after this idea had
come to Mr.. Harris ne explained 1T II
Windy city. Encouraged by their en-
thusiasm and their desire to give
proof of it. the first meeting Of the
club was held February %. 1905, in
the club. From this time forth the
meetings took place regularly, each
member acting the part of the host
in his office in his turn. Shortly. how
ever-in fact. within the space Of q
few weeks--the membership had
necessary to hold the meetings in
hotels and restaurants.
@Rotaryn Selected N Name.
Several names were suggested for
the new club by Harris. One Of them
was Rotary" which had occurred to
him because they had been holding
ferent places of business of the men,
bers. The name was subsequently
adopted, and today Rotary Is q word
that stands for better business
practices and lofty ideals in business
and professional intercourse through
out tine world.
The meetings from offlce to Office
gave the members an opportunity to
learn about 1.-THE other fellows" busi-
ness, which proved to be educational
as we'll as interesting. Thus was
established custom which has re-
solved itself into one of the present.
day features of all Rotary clubs-the
'business service talks" by members.
A little more than three years after
the organization of the first Rotary
Club in Chicago the second Rotary
Club came into existence. At that
time Manuel Munoz. an American
citizen of Spanish ancestry. member
of the Chicago club, at the suggestion
of Mr.. Harris, carried the Rotary idea
across the American continent to San
Francisco, where in November. 1908.
the Rotary Club of San Francisco was
organized through the inspiration OF
Munoz and the active work Of Homer
wood, an attorney OF that city. Un-
til this event. Rotary had not been
thought Of as a world movement by
the members of the Chicago club.
But the seed had been sown, and
following shortly the organization OF
the third Rotary Club at Oakland,
across the bay, the fourth, the nth,
The sixth, and on down to the six
teenth Rotary Club had sprung up
like mushrooms.
Sixteen Clubs in Association.
The Rotary Club a OetSo1tr Mich