ROTARY EDUCATION

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 163, 11 June 1926, Page 10

ROTARY EDUCATION

INTERESTING ADDRESS.

CAMPAIGN OF WELL-BEING. At the Dunedin conference of Rotary Clubs, held from March 4 to March 8, an address on “ltotary. Education was delivered by Rotarian Alex. P. Campbell, a Congregational minister, of Sydney. At yesterday’s meeting of the Palmerston North Rotary Club the address was read by the president, Rotarian B. J. Jacobs. The subject was presented under three convenient heads: The need, method, and end of Rotary education. The very genius of Rotary, it was stated, demanded the recognition of Rotary education' as essential towards its proper efficiency. was not merely a club of “jolly good fellows,” not a charitable organisation or a philantrophic society. It was a training ground for men with a view to a particular thing—broadly speaking, a better order in business and professional life, and thereby society at large. By appropriating such pregnant terms as “fellowship,” “.friendship” and “service” Rotary proclaimed itself no mere petty, egoistic clique, but a movement responsive worthiest spirit of the time, ranging itself in line with those immutable principles by which men and nations endured. It was Rotary’s business to sell Rotary to the community, but in order to do that there had to bo acquired the knowledge of the scionco / of successful salesmanship. Liko every other science it had to be learnt. Fellowship with a view to mutual enlightenment must co-exist with fellowship with a view to friendship if Rotary’s morale was to be adequate to its venture. The primary aim of Rotarv was the development of the man, so that he became a Rotarian strengthened by the opportunity of Rotary' fellowship, inspired by the understanding of Rotary ideals and objects toward belief in, and enthusism for, the principles and practice of Rotary service.; Rotary was out for a campaign. ■■ Of its very nature it must depend upon the efficiency of its rank and-file. Its classification basis was stultified unless the individual was definite as-regards its aims and objects. “If : lie.‘does not know,’ ” states Rotarian Campbell, “it must be required of him that he ‘shall inform himself.’- -That-is-what I mean when I say that the very genius of Rotary demands the recognition of Rotary education as essential.towards its efficiency. In a campaign, definiteness is ossential. In a critical issue, uncertainty is perilous.” As to the method of Rotary education, it was stated that Sydney Rotary had adopted a plan which had met with signal encouragement. It might be described as an adaptation of the forum scheme, of which the llotarians present would have heard. The forum was a round table conference made up of a group of not more than 16 men, presided over by a member of the education committee, whose business it was to give, the main addresses and to invite subsequent discussions. Altogether the scheme had been voted an unqualified success. In addition to the forum, the Sydney club had set aside one luncheon in every four for a Rotary educational address.

“It is, of course, obvious that the end of Rotary education is the development of the man so that lie' becomes a good Rotarian,” states Rotarian Campbell. “Every element in Rotary, from the weekly luncheon to the forum, aims at that-. One of the most daring ventures is embodied in the sixth object. Hence we do not see Rotary education in its true magnitude as we view it in terms of what it will give to the individual Australian Rotarian, or what it will give to Australian Rotary as a whole. We must go on to measure it by what it is meant to give through Australian Rotary to the entire movement. I take it to be the broad purpose of this conference to consider how Australian Rotary can enrich the common stream of Rotary the world over. That is the end we must keep in view. We are not slow to recognise the debt we owe to all that we have received of inspiration and guidance from the parent body. At the same time the very fact that our basis is ‘service’ challenges us t.> make our specific contribution toward the official functioning of the whole movement. It is our giving, and not our getting that will make us great. Australian Rotary has to integrate itself into the current life of a world-wide movement. Rotary international is not truly international without us. It cannot be effectively international except we are found to make our distinctive contribution to the common store. The whole body of Rotary only functions adequately as each member functions adequately. Hence my point is that Rotary education is essential, not only because of the immediate purpose it must serve toward the development of the individual Rotarian, but also because of the impressive end in view—this world campaign, which requires the ~part Rotarian ‘Anzacs’ must play in this world venture, which calls for the service which Australia must give. “Rotary, as I see it, is a big thing. The working out of its full meaning will require much hard thinking, careful planning and patient purpose. We here, as elsewhere, have to do our part in working out its meaning, our part in educating Rotary to fulfil the end for which it has been born. It is because Rotary is a big thing that Rotary education is indispensable. We have to think Rotary through if we mean to see Rotary through.”