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Letter from Paul P. Harris to the Round Table of Public Affairs
of the 1916 convention in Cincinnati:
"To me as I look back at the development of the purposes of
Rotary, it has seemed that in the early stages of our
development we were groping for an ethical standard upon which
to place ourselves. Lacking, as we did, in the rush of events,
sufficient time to analyze ourselves and our special
adaptabilities, we did that which, perhaps might have been
expected under existing circumstances, that is, we took the most
available means of putting ourselves upon an ethical basis,
viewing the matter from our own standpoint, and the standpoint
of the world in general. The most convenient means of satisfying
our own consciences in this regard was presented by civic and
charitable activities. We, therefore, devoted ourselves to them
with considerable energy.
"However, while we in Chicago and larger cities were giving only
a little time to the study of our special aptitude, in other and
smaller cities they were more analytical. The Seattle Club by
reason of the tendencies of some of its leaders, and also by
reason of special conditions which existed there, evolved the
idea that Rotary's great usefulness would be, not in vying and
competing with organizations established for the particular
purpose of promoting the civic welfare of their communities, but
for the purpose of studying business, elevating its standards,
and increasing its efficiency. The Seattle view quite shocked me
when it was first presented by Mr. Pinkham. As time has passed,
and as my eyes have been opened more and more to the wonderful
possibilities in this line of club specialization, I have become
more and more converted to the doctrine laid down by the Seattle
Club and recently clearly expressed in Mr. Gundaker's report. In
other words, I think that Rotary's fundamental purpose will be
with business; that civic and charitable activities should not
be discouraged, but should be given secondary consideration, not
because of any lack of importance, but because there are
specialized organizations to take care of their needs. Civic and
charitable activities seem to me by‑products.
"Of course, if we permit ourselves to relegate to the background
such sterling attributes as civics and charities, we can find
justification only in the pursuit of our own special vocation to
the extreme limit of our power to do."
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