ROTARY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19532, 13 March 1926, Page 10

ROTARY

WHAT IT MEANS At a meeting of the Auckland Rotary Club Past International President Everett Hill delivered a very stirring fifteen minutes’ address on Rotary. He came, he said, across the Pacific to bring greetings from 35 countries in which Rotary had been elected, and he specially conveyed best wishes from “Jim” Davidson, who some five years ago, when in New Zealand, had done much to establish Rotary in the Dominion. The movement was marching forward all the time, going faster |and faster, until to-day Rotary, the greatest of all movements, was established in 35 countries of the world. It I was the common meeting ground of i Europe, and was as King Alfonso of Spain remarked, the only movement wherein all men, no matter what their religious beliefs might be, could meet. “No matter where I go,” said the 'speaker, “I meet friends, men who are las proud of their citizenship as you are of yours, and to you they send their (best wishes. Rotary is the only moveIment, which is carried on regardless of politics, race, or creed.” He went on to say that Rotary meant more than luncheons or meeting men on saluting terms. No man should be in Rotary to see what he could get out of it. Men who did that soon dropped out. Rotary stood for all that was good. Meeting men was not the most important thing, and the members should never go stale on Rotary while there was a erippled child, a child in need, or a friendly word required. They owed something to the community and it was for them to pay back what they could by going out and working for the benefit of all. At the conclusion of his address, Rotarian Hill was accorded warm applause.

THE GOOD ROTARIAN.

I (From ‘‘The Rotary Wheel.’ 7 ) Often has it been said that there are I three degrees of Rotary applications—[one to the individual in himself, another to his business or profession, the I other to his citizenship. A man in himself is or is not a “good Rotarian.’’ If he is. there are recognisable tests of his goodness, not unlike those that exist in the case of sportsmanship. Everybody knows what is and what is not j “cricket”—and we are getting to know what is and what is not Rotary in personal conduct. A man in his business is or is not a good Rotarian — that is tested by whether, in his business, he is guided by the principle of Service in his various relationships. As time goes on, we discover the practices in business that are not Rotary practices, and by consensus of opinion we have them put on a black list. A man as a citizen is or is not a good Rotarian. If he uses his position in public life solely to advance his own ambition, or to further selfish interests or one-sided party views, then we would say that, in public life, he was not a good Rotarian (whatever else good he may be). A Rotarian in world-citizenship has a certain attitude towards people of other nations that is not the attitude of the “Jingo.” He wants peace and good will, not war and ill will, and in his public life will refrain from words and actions that stir up strife. Our Rotary Clubs are organisations wherein men may become better Rotarians in each of the three degrees. They subject to a test, likewise. That test is, how far do they, by their conduct as organisations, fulfil the aims and objects of Rotary? The. “ideal" Rotary Club is one whose members are individually, in business and in public life, good Rotarians — men who can be recognised by the community as upholding the standards of conduct which we describe as Rotary standards. As to how a Club shall conduct, itself to carry out that purpose is largely a matter for its own decision. The governing body recommends certain practices that experience proves to be helpful—but it does not more than recommend. When coercoin is tried —in Rotary or even excess of persuasion, something alien is introduced. Rotary must depend in the long run on the general understanding of what the movement stands for. A ROTARY HOLIDAY WITH A PURPOSE. One or two Midland District (England) Rotarians have been “getting together” lately to see if a holiday cruise to the Northern Capitals of Europe cannot be arranged about the end of August. Apart from the delightful holiday aspect, it would be a good opportunity for Rotarians and their wives of friends to meet for a longer period than the usual week-ends, and also to visit the clubs at Oslo, Stockholm, Bergen, Copenhagen, etc. SERVICE ABOVE SELF. Tn an address to Glasgow Rotary Club in the Caldoro Restaurant on November 24, 1925, Sir George Paish commended the principle of “Service above Self” in international affairs as well as in the life of the individual. Hitherto, he said, the nations'had pursued an opposite policy —Self before Service. That motto the principle that had brought success at Locarno, where Mr. Chamberlain had said to the Conference that they came there not to bring their demands but their contributions. If that principle had been acted upon at Versailes what a different world we would have had to-day! Now at last the right spirit had got into the world, and they were beginning to have real peace. As Rotarians they were entitled to sonic of the credit, for it was obvious that those statesmen who went to Locarno would never have met in that spirit if the motto Rotarians stood for had not been widely recognised throughout the world.