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History of RotaryThe Renaissance of RotaryThe basic principles of Rotary have been remarkably stable for over 100 years. Nevertheless, Rotary is a dynamic organization. Paul Harris paid tribute to its dynamic nature in 1935, recognizing that the organization he founded was finding its own way and making itself even better. “Whether it is that Rotary was born under a lucky star, or
whether it is that its “will to be” was undeniable, the net results
of the clash of ideas and ideals among the members of the first club
marked the beginning of the renaissance of Rotary.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Appreciating the Uniqueness of RotaryPaul Harris believed that Rotary was something special, not because he started it, but because its principles set it apart from other organizations. He believed that Rotarians should appreciate how special Rotary was, but not take it too seriously. To remain special, clubs need to value core characteristics of Rotary while simultaneously looking for ways to make it better. “Among the not unwholesome attributes of man, is reverence. In
dark ages, it raised him above the brute world into a kingdom of his
own; it gave him incentive to move onward and upward toward an idealism,
the height of which was limited only by his perception. Primitive
reverence was extravagant and unrestrained. Birthday celebrations in
Rotary are apt expressions of the restrained and rationalized reverence
of modern times.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Rotary’s RenaissanceThirty years into the movement that we call Rotary, Paul Harris reflected on its course. Although most of its course was predictable and gradual, there was a revolutionary period in which Rotary redefined itself and began its rapid international growth. “Evolution is natural, orderly, economic, and constructive. Revolution is the reverse; yet both have played their parts in the advancement of civilization. Marking the close of the middle ages, the moral and intellectual standards of the European nations changed so completely that the period was designated the renaissance, or rebirth; it was almost revolutionary.” “The progress of Rotary has been mainly evolutionary; one change
has followed another in orderly sequence, and yet the history of the
rise of the movement reveals a period when the expansion of purposes and
ideals was so pronounced that it may well be designated the period of
Rotary’s renaissance. Like all other revolutionary periods, it was a
time of disillusionment, disenchantment, anxiety, hope, fear, despair,
conflict, and heartache.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Faith in the Vision of RotaryThe original Rotary club in Chicago was a success by any standard. It provided fellowship and support to its members and service to its community. However, it was not enough for Paul Harris or for the original members. They realized that the concept of Rotary had incredible potential if they could bring it to cities around the world. To commit themselves to such a lofty goal took an act of faith that few people could muster and probably one that they could sustain only because of their shared vision. “The rumblings of the renaissance began to be heard during the latter part of 1906; it began-in earnest in 1907 and continued until 1913. During that period, Rotary expanded from a local group, gathered together in the city of Chicago for mutual advantage and fellowship, to an organization of international vision and nobility of purpose.” “In the beginning of Rotary’s renaissance there was little to
justify fond hopes and profound ambition, but the one element to all
substantial achievement in all fields of human endeavor was present, and
that was faith. Without faith, Columbus could never have fought his way
against wind and wave to the western hemisphere. Without it, the
brilliant Galileo and the patient Pasteur would have remained at the
level of mediocrity. Without it, Rotary would have remained a lone
maverick of clubdom.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Rotary InternationalPaul Harris was perhaps a bit defensive in the following quotation about the direction that Rotary took once it decided to expand. As he points out, the explosive international growth of Rotary was not just a happy accident; rather, it was the natural progression set in motion by the visionaries who wanted to expand the model born in Chicago to the far corners of the globe. “Frequently have the words been heard, ‘Who would have thought
that Rotary would become the worldwide power for good that it is today?
You built it better than you knew.’ It is obvious from this and other
expressions that the current belief is that the character of the present
movement and its widespread was entirely unforeseen and largely
accidental. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The plan was
conceived in anxious, earnest reflection, and was painstakingly carried
out.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). No Plan is PerfectThe rapid expansion of Rotary in the early years was part of the plan put together by the original Chicago Rotarians. However, as Paul Harris noted, not everything went as planned. Nevertheless, the leadership of Rotary simply reacted to the situation and modified the plan as needed without sacrificing its critical element—the philosophy of Rotary. “Under circumstances somewhat similar, President Hoover said:
‘People seem to have the idea that there is some sort of miraculous
operation in accomplishment; that somebody conceives a perfect and
complete plan, which can simply be charted and placed in operation.
Things never happen that way. Something needs to be done. Mistakes are
made—but that does not matter; one must press on. One day’s work at
a time.’” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Not New, Just BetterRotary was the first service organization and the first organization of diverse members to go international, yet Paul Harris did not believe that its success was based on its originality. Instead, he attributed its success to the hard work of members, which is probably true even today. Rotary is special because Rotarians are special. They care, they act, and they give of themselves. That is the secret of our success, although admittedly, it is not much of a secret. “Little which is worthwhile comes without effort. It could not
be appreciated if it were so to come. Rotary was not the result of a
stroke of genius; in fact, there is little if anything, even original
about it. There is wisdom in the expression, ‘There is nothing new
under the sun,’” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Tinkering with SuccessPerhaps the most amazing thing about the history of Rotary is that it ever got beyond Chicago. It wasn’t that the Chicago club was a failure; it was universally regarded as a success by its members. Therein lays the problem. It takes guts to mess with success, to go back to the drawing board, and to risk what you already have. Fortunately, the original Rotarians had both guts and vision. “The renaissance demanded more than mere extension, even though extension be to the farthermost corners of the earth. Something yet needed to be done; the purposes and the ideals had to be expanded to dimensions proportionate to the increase of physical growth. Somehow, the esoteric Rotary must acquire an exoteric outlook. With no lesser vision could ambitions be realized.” “To accept the new doctrine, involved immense expansion of the
old. To immeasurably expand a doctrine which had proven itself eminently
satisfactory to the great majority was difficult. It is not easy to
become a prophet twice in the same city. Where would the movements of
the past have been, had it been necessary for the founders to admit
their shortcomings to their followers?” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). The First Service ProjectYou would think that doing something for the community would be easy. People would be grateful to have their community improved. But the first service project of the first Rotary Club demonstrated that parochial interests often make public projects difficult, even projects that are provided free. “… Rotary’s first public service … consisted of initiating
and promulgating the establishment of public comfort stations in
Chicago. Of all the multitudinous undertakings of Rotary, the writer
cannot recall one more ambitious. Rotary’s first public undertaking
resulted in the enrollment of every important civic organization in the
city of Chicago, and also the city and county administrations, in its
support. For more than two years, the battle against indifference,
vested interests, and so forth continued until eventually Chicago’s
first public comfort station was established on the northeastern corner
of Washington and LaSalle streets. The greater significance however, was
in the fact that it was the precursor of thousands of similar services
rendered by Rotarians throughout the world. Its lesser significance is
to be found in the fact that the Rotary Club was raised to the rank of a
civic organization in Chicago, to be counted on, henceforth, as an asset
in the city. The head of the Y.M.C.A. expressed the prevailing sentiment
when he said, ‘The Rotary Club of Chicago has now shown reason for its
existence.’” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Tinkering with RotaryPaul Harris knew that the idea of Rotary was something special, but he also knew that to achieve its full potential, the organization would need to explore and experiment. Harris describes his restlessness and desire to enhance Rotary in the following quotation (talking about himself in the third person). “The inventor of the first Rotary club was more conscious of its
deficiencies than anyone else could have been; so conscious of them that
he could not have thrown down his tools if he had wanted to do so. He
kept on.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). The International VisionCould Rotary have remained a single club in downtown Chicago? It is difficult to know. However, Paul Harris doubted that a single club could ever maintain the vitality of the Rotary Movement. He believed that the explosive growth of Rotary not only spread a vision to cities around the world, but it also inspired all Rotarians to greater accomplishment. “Just what would have become of the Rotary Club of Chicago, had
it not been for the urge to carry the movement into other cities and
other countries is difficult to conjecture; it is safe to say, however,
that it would have lacked its most inspirational feature. Individual
Rotary clubs of today are borne on the tide of the worldwide movement.
From the expenditure of time and money, rich dividends continue to flow
in at an ever rate.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Dream BigIn discussing the agenda of the first Rotary Convention (Chicago, 1910), Paul Harris noted that those in attendance saw the potential of Rotary and dreamed of extending the idea worldwide. From the beginning, Harris realized that the dreams of early Rotarians would soon become the visions that would drive the organization and the individual clubs, just as they are today. The 2008-2009 theme of Dong Kurn Lee to Make Dreams Real captures perfectly the attitude that anything is possible when Rotarians dream and then say to themselves, “Why not? Let’s find a way to make it happen.” Dreams might prove valueless, but they were inexpensive and there
was no valid reason why they should not be indulged to the limit. So
imagination was permitted to run riot and random shots were fired in all
directions in the interest of extension, and in the hope that some one
of them might hit a vulnerable spot. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Clarifying the VisionVisions are rarely handed to us on clay tablets. More often, they are formed through the interaction of likeminded individuals and then gradually put into the words that become guiding principles. The principle of “He profits most who serves best” captured the spirit of Rotary and was adopted at the second Rotary Convention. The most important contribution of the period was the platform, which was submitted by the Rotary Club of Seattle. It was adopted at the second convention (Sheldon’s slogan, “He profits most who serves best,” having been added to it) as the platform of the National Association of Rotary Clubs. The platform accomplished an important purpose in that it
clarified the vision and tended to give the movement a better sense of
direction. It filled a place not covered by either constitution or
bylaws. It emphasized the importance of fair-dealing and high standards
in business. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Becoming Truly InternationalWe think of Rotary as synonymous with RI (Rotary International), but of course, it was not an international organization until it had its first club from a country other than the USA. That first club from outside the United States was Winnipeg, Canada, which established a Rotary Club in November of 1910. That may be the date on which Rotary became international, but as Paul Harris noted, Rotary was thinking internationally long before then. It takes more than one swallow to make a summer, but one Canadian
Rotary club sufficed to internationalize Rotary. In fact, the fever was
at the time running so high that it is questionable whether even the
inclusion of Winnipeg was necessary; Rotary simply had to become
international somehow. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). If At First You Don’t Succeed …Not every attempt to spread the message of Rotary succeeded, although most did. Paul Harris cautioned members to not be discouraged with occasional failures and never to over-generalize from those occasional failures. Often, all it takes is a different voice, or a different message, or even a different ear to bring the message of Rotary to yet another place. A Chicago member, who was about to make a business visit to Cuba,
was prevailed upon to attempt the organization of a club in Havana. He
did his best, but his efforts were doomed to failure. In a spirit of
hopefulness he had undertaken his mission; in a spirit of despair he
returned, contending that Rotary was solely an Anglo-Saxon idea; that it
never could be appreciated or understood by other races. Those who have
been privileged to become acquainted with the splendid Latin American
Rotarians know how erroneous were his conclusions. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). It Is Not the Size of the CityInitially, Rotary was a large city phenomenon, primarily because it was spread by business people who did business in large cities around the world. However, all new organizations, whether they are businesses or service organizations, must decide on where they are likely to be successful. By the 1920s, Rotary knew it could be successful in large cities, but could it be successful in smaller cities and even small towns. We know the answer now because Rotary is everywhere. It is not the size of the city, but rather, it is the size of the heart of club members that determines the success of a Rotary Club. The question of the universality of Rotary’s appeal having been
satisfactorily settled, the next question in order was how large must a
city be in order to be eligible. It was at first contended that clubs
must be limited to cities of not less than fifty thousand population.
Experience soon demonstrated that so drastic a limitation would be
unnecessary. By successive stages, it was reduced to twenty-five
thousand, ten, five, two; and eventually the conclusion was reached,
that it was not so much a question of population as it was a question of
the character of the men making application. Since arriving at that
conclusion, successful Rotary clubs have been established in towns of
one thousand inhabitants and even less. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). The Evolution of IdeasPaul Harris has always credited his friend and fellow Rotarian, Arthur Sheldon, with the articulation of many of the principles of Rotary. We celebrate Paul Harris as the founder of Rotary, and, indeed, he deserves our accolades. However, Arthur Sheldon played a central role in shaping the direction of Rotary with his ideas and his passion. Paul Harris comments on the importance of Sheldon in his book This Rotarian Age. Sheldon’s ambitions were boundless and his convictions profound.
Some of his ideas came like flashes of electricity; others through slow
evolution. “He profits most who serves best,” was forged in
Sheldon’s brain as he unfolded his long legs and emerged from a
barber’s chair in Minneapolis one evening in 1908. Other epigrams have
been made and remade, time and time again, during long periods. When
uttered, they seemed the inspiration of the moment; they were not—they
were the results of soul travail. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Arthur Sheldon: The Poet Lauriat of RotaryPaul Harris founded Rotary and helped to formulate many of Rotary’s principles, but Harris readily acknowledges the enormous contributions of others, especially the contributions of Arthur Sheldon. Sheldon was every bit as devoted to the principles of Rotary as Paul Harris, but he also had a unique gift for expressing those principles with the finesse of the finest poet. Harris celebrated Sheldon’s contributions to Rotary in his 1935 book (This Rotarian Age). Sheldon is as devoted to his ideal today as he was a quarter of a
century ago. His most cherished hope at present is, that his courses may
be adopted in the public schools in the United States and in all other
countries where sympathizers may be found. He realizes that the
impressionable youthful mind presents his best opportunity. Sheldon will
never retire; it is doubtful whether he will even ease up. His ideals,
to him, are life. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Ches Perry: The Face of Rotary InternationalPaul Harris has always recognized the many people who made Rotary what it is, and one of the most important was Ches Perry, who served as the first Secretary of Rotary International. His energy and vision fueled the rapid growth of Rotary. Curiously, Ches Perry joined the Chicago Rotary Club on the same day as Arthur Sheldon, whose writings and speeches provided the public persona of Rotary for decades. That proved to be a very good day for Rotary! Ches’ vision has always been wide enough to comprehend the
possibilities. His devotion during a score of years has made Rotary what
it is. If ever one has been blessed with the capacity for singleness of
purpose, it is he. Morning, noon and night; day in and day out; year in
and year out — always the same indomitable will to carry on. He
believes in the eight hour shift, but he works two of them; he believes
in holidays—one can do so many things on Saturday afternoons, Sundays,
on Christmas and New Year’s—so many little things that one finds
difficult to reach when one’s office is full of fellow workers, when
there are, so many callers and the telephone so frequently interrupts. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). A Beehive of ActivityThey say the devil is in the details. The growth of Rotary International was largely due to how well the details were handled in those early years by Ches Perry, Rotary International’s first secretary. With unbounded energy and love of all things Rotary, Ches recruited and organized an incredibly effective RI staff, which not only effectively managed Rotary’s growth, but also helped to inspire it. A recent visitor at headquarters expressed himself as follows:
“I found the whole staff of Rotary International in action, nearly a
hundred strong and it’s the nearest thing to a beehive I ever saw
among humans. Here is the throbbing heart of Rotary, the great central
organ that pumps the constant, pulsing stream of Rotary achievement and
ideals into eighty countries of the world. And here is the vortex where
that life-blood comes back to be translated and enriched with direction
and inspiration before it goes back into circulation. Mail comes in and
goes out mountain-high, much of it in foreign tongues; cables and
telegrams flutter like birds; yet with all that high-pressure there is a
cordial, friendly feeling of team work and pride in the job. It is the
practice, rather than the exception, for the staff of Rotary
International to give up Saturdays, Sundays and holidays to the work
they feel must be cleared. They preach service, they live it, and they
give it. And with full appreciation to a hundred loyal hearts who assist
him it is only fair to say that the prime credit for the incredible
performance belongs to Chesley R. Perry, Secretary of Rotary
International. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). A Tribute to Chesley PerryChesley Perry was Rotary International’s first secretary, and he headed the day-to-day operations of the organization for decades. He started as a part-time secretary, but soon was heading a staff of hundreds of multilingual professionals, serving the needs of Rotary clubs around the world. Writing in the third person (referring to himself as the writer), Paul Harris paid tribute to this singularly impressive Rotarian who helped to make Rotary what it is today. The writer believes that much of the credit which he himself has
been given for the success of the movement should have gone to Ches’
account. He is certain that many of his own contributions would have
come to naught had it not been for the untiring zeal of his coworker.
The writer can truthfully say that throughout the many years of service
together, Ches has been more than fair; he has been uniformly generous.
He has always had the faculty of detaching himself from the
consideration and judging all questions in the light of the best
interests of Rotary. It is an honor to have been so long associated with
such a man. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Service Organizations ProliferateThey say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so Rotarians should be flattered by the many other service organizations that proliferated once Rotary began to make its mark. These were not competitive organizations, but rather partners in the effort to improve communities. They are still partners. Rotary Clubs routinely join with other local service organizations to complete projects too large for any one organization to handle alone. Inspired by the example of Rotary, many other organizations
dedicated to similar purposes came into existence in the United States
and Canada, Kiwanis and Lions standing next to Rotary in point of
membership. Rotary welcomed all and considered it a privilege to give
them assistance—an attitude of mind for which Rotary has been amply
compensated in the splendid achievement of these kindred organizations. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). A Preview of Polio PlusThere is perhaps no greater single achievement in Rotary than Polio Plus, which has all but eliminated this dreaded disease. However, Rotary’s concern for the crippling diseases of childhood date back long before Polio Plus, as noted by Paul Harris in his 1935 book, This Rotarian Age. A splendid citizen of Elyria, Ohio, came into Rotary bringing his
own pet propaganda with him. In fact, he made application for membership
in the Rotary Club of Elyria for the express purpose of getting the
backing of Rotarians for his enterprise; the care, cure, and education
of crippled children. To write the story of Edgar Allen is to record one
of the greatest humanitarian achievements of all time. His selection of
Rotary as an agency through which to secure for such unfortunates the
birthrights to which they were entitled was a high honor to the
movement. Acting mainly through Rotarians, the International Society for
Crippled Children has brought about the organization of more than forty
state and provincial societies to promote the interests of crippled
children. [Editor’s Note: This program was the precursor to the
March of Dimes.] Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Bitter DisputesModern Rotarians are often surprised by the bitterness of some of the early disputes about the role of Rotary in society. They expect that an organization that has always been dedicated to service will somehow live in harmony. However, organizations are made up of people, and people do not always agree. Paul Harris readily acknowledged the bitter internal disputes that occupied Rotary in its early years. These disputes were not confined to logical arguments, but sometimes involved ad homonym attacks on motivations, which seems in retrospect to be very un-Rotary-like. However, despite their intensity, the spirit of fellowship and service shared by all of the disagreeing parties kept them talking until a compromise could be reached. That compromise involves a commitment to the multiple avenues of service that characterizes modern Rotary clubs. It also demonstrates the value of another core principle of Rotary. When people of different cultures, professions, and perspectives commit to fellowship above all else, even the most egregious differences have the possibility of resolution. The theory was that inasmuch as membership in Rotary clubs was confined to one representative of each vocation, Rotary could best act as a propagandist, making the needs known and assisting in mobilizing forces to carry on. A limited number of the opposition even went so far as to charge the advocates of boy work [essentially, mentoring troubled youth, which was almost exclusively male] and crippled children work with insincerity, contending that they were not so much interested in the work as they were in squaring themselves against the implications of selfishness resulting from the exclusiveness of representation. Boy work [programs for troubled children, who were almost
exclusively boys] and crippled children work zealots were not content to
be dismissed with a theory or with charges of insincerity. They were not
interested in refinement of reasoning. To them, service was the ideal,
and the role of the propagandist seemed an attempt to avoid
responsibility. They had no fears of things being overdone. What they
did fear was that splendid opportunities for service might be lost and
that Rotary might eventually become merely another banquet-eating,
cigar-smoking, song-singing, speech-making, back-slapping aggregation of
clubs. They had no orthodoxy other than the orthodoxy of service. They
were willing to leave preaching to the preachers; they wanted to do
things here and now, and wanted fellow-members to join with them. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Finding a CompromiseDid you know that a schism within Rotary almost threatened the organization? The issue involved whether Rotary should focus on Vocational or Community service. There were strong adherents for each position, and the debate was not always polite. Nevertheless, the movement we call Rotary found a solution that satisfied everyone. It shows what you can do when you are committed to fellowship and understanding, principles that remain unchanged in Rotary since 1905. The climax came in 1923 during the course of a convention in St.
Louis. All possibilities of a schism were prevented by the adoption of a
memorable resolution, designated as number thirty-four, by virtue of
which all clubs were granted complete autonomy in relation to club
activities, but were admonished against permitting any activity to
obscure other features of the movement. The resolution was wise, timely,
and satisfactory to the opposing factions. It cleared the atmosphere. It
was mainly the contribution of a brilliant and devoted Rotarian from
Nashville, Tennessee. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Rotary in Small TownsRotary started in major cities, but it was too good an idea to be confined to large cities. It quickly spread to smaller cities and towns, where it often was able to transform a community. The scale of the issues facing smaller towns was often well within the reach of a local Rotary club. Today, you find Rotary everywhere. Clubs in smaller towns may have fewer members and smaller budgets, but their dreams are not restricted and their spirit can energize an entire community. Can a club of fifty or a hundred members influence the character of a small city? It has been clearly proven that Rotary clubs do influence the characters of the cities in which they are established. The influence naturally is most noticeable in the smaller communities. Many a dejected, spiritless town of the Main Street variety has been revived and invigorated. Existence can become drab indeed in small towns, where there is no public spirit and where home-folks are given to bickering and gossip. If the spirit is what it should be, life should be at its best in the smaller communities. Rotarians of small town clubs have frequently, with deep feeling,
stated that the advent of Rotary has wrought wondrous changes, that
contentions and petty jealousies have given way to civic consciousness
and enthusiastic cooperation. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Rotary Transforming Small TownsRotary is an international organization of nearly 33,000 clubs, and each club is dedicated to serving its community. In many cases, Rotary clubs have transformed smaller communities by building a consensus for improvement and growth. That is not an easy task, but Rotary seems ideally suited to it. Dr. Charles E. Barker, formerly physical director for Mr. Taft
while he was president of the United States, is responsible for the
statement that the complexion of the small towns in America has been
entirely changed by Rotary and the other organizations that have
followed its lead. As Dr. Barker had visited nearly one thousand of
them, he knows whereof he speaks. Cooperation is the keynote of happy
community life. Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History Fellowship from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org).
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