ROTARY'S WORK

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21747, 1 April 1936, Page 17

ROTARY'S WORK

CRITICISMS EXPRESSED

VIEWS OP CANON S. PARR

The part Rotary is playing in the present-day world was jexamineti by Canon S. Fair at the luncheon of the Christchurch Club yesterday. Canon Parr's address was founded on remarks made by the Rev. H. Newell at the recent national Rotary, conference at Auckland, which summed up what he considered to be the good and faulty points of the Rotary movement « After dealing with the good points, Canon Parr confined his remarks to what were considered the fault/ points. The first criticism was that most Rotarians. were men with a common outlook—men who thougnt the same way in most political; social, and other questions. When new members were found, they were found from the same ranks as the older members. They therefore did not represent a true cross-section of the population, but rather men whose views and interests lay roughly in the same direction. There was a possibility of this happening, said Canon Parr, but it must be remembered that there was surely some method of selection which could do away with this difficulty. There were two other very important sources of danger, said Canon Pam The first was not taking enough notice of one's job. and the second taking too much notice. "I would add a third danger—that of not knowing what the job is," added Canon Parr: Motto at fault The motto of Rotary, "Service above self," was also criticised by the speaker. The wording was at least contentious, he continued. It also appeared to give the' man in the street sbmelhing with which to goad the Rotary movement. The spirit of the motto was all right, but it Was unfortunately expressed. It had been intended as something striking to put above the Rotary WheeL The adoption of the golden ruie would have been a better choice, and it could have been signified by a yellow line above the wheel. If a man were true to himself, however, he would be true to others. - . There had been differences about what Rotary's real Job wafc. It had been formed to enable men to get away from the business atmosphere. Ways had been found to express the true spirit of Rotary in various < charitable works.

"It looks as if the tree of Rotary has grown to be top-heavy," said Canon Parr. He sometimes thought that it was time to get the shears ready and remove some of the branches, so that the tree might became stronger. It was sometimes thought that work should come first, continued Canon Parr, but in his opinion at the Rotary gatherings friendship should come first and then work.

Activities Forced

The- activities often seerited to him to be a litUe forced. He took as an example the singing at the luncheons, rt did seem a little out of place to sing after a good meal. Canon Parr emphasised the importance of the pan of Hotarians in fostering friendships. The Rotary gatherings were some of the very fewopportunities that fellow-workers got to meet each other. "I am not suggesting that there should he no outside activities; that would be absurd," said Canon Parr; "but we should hot go out of our Way to do them. We should not be at everbody's beck and call. "Contentious subjects should not be discussed at the gatherings. Rotary was closely .related to the church, and these subjects should be dropped, as they proved in many cases to be the 'apples of discord.'" ~

The creative tlrrie should not come from .Rotary itself—it was not a dynamo that produced power, but a transformer to carry on the inspirations that were drawn from elsewhere* Mr E. Hitchcock presided at the luncheon.