The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1923. THE ROTARIAN IDEAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18784, 18 May 1923, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1923. THE ROTARIAN IDEAL

Any well-conceived effort is worthy of encouragement if its purpose is to increase the power arid influence of an organisation seeking the moral, intellectual and social advancement of all classes of the community. It would be difficult to formulate a more complete and eloquent expression of the ideal of social service than that which is embodied in the Rotarian motto: “Service before self—he profits most who serves best.” A social service organisation functioning in harmony with the spirit of such a motto possesses an indisputable claim to popular favour and support, and is certainly entitled to be regarded as worthy of any effort which may be exerted on its behalf. The people of this district have but a hear-say knowledge of the aims and achievements of the Rotary Club. As yet, no branch of the club has been founded here, though we have something perhaps somewhat akin to it in our own New Zealand Club. The

movement itself is a young one, not yet twenty summers old, and it is only of very recent years that it has secured a footing in this Dominion. It appears to be a fine, healthy youngster, however, and is already making its voice heard and its influence felt in Auckland and elsewhere. Like quite a number of other things, good and bad, of world-wide inportance, Rotary had its origin in the United States. An intellectual citizen of Chicago, who saw something better in life than the mere getting and spending of money, gave the uow far-spreading movement its humble start in 1905. He called a few friends together and founded a club “wherein members might not only become acquainted with one another, but also decise means of proving useful to the community, thereby making themselves more proficient in service toward their fellowmen.” Following the little inaugural gathering the meetings were held regularly, each member acting the part of host in his own office in turn, and it was because of this rotation of meeting places that the name “Rotary” subsequently occurred to the founder. To-day Rotary is a world that stands for better business practices and lofty ideals in business and professional intercourse literally all over the world. At the 31st December, 1922, there were 1,332 Rotary Clubs in the world. The United States naturally had the greatest number, viz., 1,134, but the British Isles came second with 97, and Canada third with 63. To show the universality of Rotary it might be mentioned that Rotary Clubs have also been established in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India, Newfoundland, France, Spain, Denmark, Norway, China, Japan, Phillipines, Panama, Argentine, Uruguay, Porto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru. The fact that to-day the movement has an officially recorded membership of 86,350 is evidence of it rapid growth. Very beautifulfully does Edgar A. Guest express the true Rotary spirit:—

A little less self-seeking, a little more for men, Less bitter in our speaking, more kindly with the pen; A little less of swerving from paths of truth and right, A little more of serving and less of dollar might. More peaceful with our neighbours, and stauncher to our friends, For this all Rotary labour, on this its hope depends. To smooth the way for others, to make or life the most; To make the phrase “our brothers” mean more than idle boast; To praise sincere endeavour, when praise will spur it on, Withholding kind words never until the friend is gone; This is the Rotary spirit, this is the

Rotary dream. God grant that we may near it, before we cross the stream.

And it is to foster and encourage this spirit in the community, by making better known the aims and objects of the Rotary Club that “the N.Z. Rotarian” has just been launched for public circulation in the form of a very readable and inspiring monthly magazine. In other words this admirable publication is issued with the avowed intention of presenting a worthy ideal and of fostering the right will. Wherever we look, says its editor, we find that ideals, worthy or unworthy, have been the dominant forces in the his‘tory of nations, seeking ends now commercial, now dynastic, now religious. But our world is dynamic. There is nothing permanent but change, and all things, Ideals too, are relative to time and circumstance. The familiar institutions of to-day have their roots in

the past; but measured in the light of the World’s life, they arc the growths

of yesterday; and to-morrow many will have withered and passed away. If we can abstract ourselves for a moment from the hurly-burly of life, wc can see it changing form and heading away into the future —apparently chaotic and ungoverned. But it is net altogether chaotic and ungoverned; It is heading away after an Ideal, some Ideal, good or bad, fraught with gain or loss. Yet knowing this, do we ever stop awhile to inspect our “Ideals.” Are not moat of our “Ideals” ready-made for us, adapted to our tastes and our particular brand of Orthodoxy, prettily named, and scented with pleasant odours, given the blessing of “Culture,” or the benediction, of our “Class,” flavoured with Fashion and beribboned with Convention; but remote, altogether remote from our lives and those around us? We need Ideals to-day; but not any Ideal. We need Ideals that have been subjected to close scrutiny and honest, painstaking thought; Ideals which, transcending oar petty vanities and immediate, individual, small concerns, touch the great social life around us. And we need too, the will to make those Ideals real, and thus enable us to fashion a gag to silence the mockers.