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 PRESIDENT'S
REPORT.
President Harris then addressed the Convention in substance as
follows:
"Gentlemen, with my activities in my profession and as President
of this Association I really have not had an opportunity to
prepare a written report.
Development of National Rotary.
"This National work impresses me as being a tremendous project
and I believe we are being awakened as to what the National
Association means. It has been difficult to get members to take
a broad national view of Rotary. There have been many who have
been disposed to see the entire national project through the
vision of their own Club and measure its scope by the
limitations of a local Club. However, it will only take a
Convention or two of the character of this Convention to make
all naturally good Rotarians National Rotarians.
"I
do not mean to say that there have not been many workers in the
National organization work. Mr. Fitzwilson has done some
splendid and helpful work in New England, Mr. Eberhard has been
very active in his Committee work out here on the Pacific Coast,
and Mr. Skeel has likewise distinguished himself, and there are
others whose names I might mention, were there time, who have
taken a national view of things, upon whom I have felt that I
could depend for assistance in working out some of our national
problems.
Executive Co‑Operation.
Now as to the workings of our offices in Chicago. It has been
Secretary Perry's practice to send all communications of any
importance over to my office. Sometimes he answers them before
sending them over and sends me a copy of his answer; at other
times he waits for my suggestion in the matter. Likewise
communications received by me are referred to the Secretary's
office for the addition of such information as can be furnished
there. In other words, it is a custom between his office and
mine to consult on matters as they come up so that in matters if
importance whether our combined judgment be, good or bad you
have usually gotten the combined judgment of Mr. Perry and
myself. We have sometimes varied a little at first, but in time
we have been able to arrive at harmonious conclusions in almost
every instance, and I want here to call your attention to one
thing, that the longer Rotarians deliberate upon any particular
subject pertaining to Rotary the more certain they are to arrive
at pretty nearly uniform conclusions.
(Mr. Harris then outlined some of the details pertaining to the
organization of new Clubs and told of his visits to Cleveland,
Detroit, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Indianapolis, New York City and
Buffalo, attending Club meetings and consulting with members or
organizers, and demonstrated that the National Association could
well afford to pay some traveling expenses when the organization
of new Clubs resulted, as such new Clubs would at once begin
paying dues to the National Association.)
Exchange of Ideas and of Business.
"The greatest reason that I can see for the existence of the
National Association is the exchange of ideas either through the
medium of the Association's publication or through the medium of
gatherings of this character; the exchange of ideas which
enables us to raise our standards and get ourselves on higher
planes. The exchange of ideas between members engaged in the
same lines of business in different cities is also destined to
be a strong feature of the work of the National Association. The
lawyers are already organizing. Other lines will follow. A
tradesman is naturally slow to give up valuable trade secrets to
his competitors, but he will freely give them to brother
Rotarians living in other cities.
We
shall some day have many small wheels rotating within the great
National wheel.
There are many other ways wherein business relationship between
Rotarians of different cities may be wisely encouraged. Perhaps
to most members the most apparent opportunity to patronize
members of other clubs is while traveling, but that is only one
of many. The American cities are connected by great railway
systems. This means inter‑city commerce. Rotarians are entitled
to their share.
Scores of instances can be cited to show that Rotarians are
working together from city to city for each other's benefit ‑
personally I have transferred clients to the lawyers of the
Portland and Spokane Clubs, which are some distance from
Chicago. I have forwarded a good deal of business to Rotarian
lawyers in other cities and have received a good deal of
business in return. In every instance the relationship has
proven very satisfactory and has given promise of permanency.
I
could name individual members of certain clubs, each one of whom
could pay the entire expense of his club's membership in the
National Association out of the profits of his inter‑city
Rotarian business.
"Americans are a migratory people. I think statistics show that
only about one‑half of the American people are both born and
buried at the same city. Some of our Rotarians are going to
migrate ‑ for instance, a member of the Boston Rotary Club
decided to move to Chicago and open an establishment there. He
came to our city as a stranger and presenting myself at my
office asked me to put him in touch with Chicago Rotary. He had
thousands of dollars ready to spend in fitting up his
establishment and he wanted to patronize Rotarians. As his line
was open he joined the Chicago Rotary Club and many of our
members were among his first patrons when he opened his store.
Extension of Rotary to Foreign Lands.
"Now I am a little optimistic ‑ I have thought this Rotary idea
so great an idea that it might be permitted to extend beyond the
confines of this country. I myself have been in a position to
realize the advantages of having personal friends on the other
side of the water. Perhaps it was that, more than any other
consideration, that induced me upon my own initiative and
without any authority from the Board of Directors to take up
with Mr. Harvey C. Wheeler of Boston Rotary the matter of
establishing, a Rotary Club in London. Only a few days ago Mr.
Wheeler reported to me that the Club had been successfully
started in London and unless we are interfered with in some way
I have reason to believe that Mr. Wheeler will by next year have
established a club in Paris, France. I have also been in
communication. with gentlemen in Glasgow; Scotland, and
Melbourne and Sidney, Australia, and it is not unlikely that
there will be Rotary Clubs in these and other foreign cities."
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