Page 12 - September 2015 Gears & Ears

Gears and Ears

Journal of the Rotary Club of Lake Buena Vista

Page 12 September 2015
A Rotary Moment - Augustine Campana

The Rotary club that was founded in Chicago in 1905 was very different from Rotary as we know it
today. First of all, although this is not formalized in a charter or by-laws anywhere, most agree, and
Paul Harris himself has stated, that he started the club because he was a very social person and
wanted to have more friends and opportunities for fellowship. As an inducement to attract other
members, he offered the chance to develop exclusive business relationships, a concept that formed
the basis for member classifications. For example, among the membership, there would only one
representative of any profession—one lawyer, one coal company president, one haberdasher, etc.
and each would commit to commerce primarily with the other members.

Meetings originally rotated from one location to another, often at a member’s office, until club
membership grew to a point that made this impractical. And, the meetings that were held were very
social with an emphasis on fun, highlighted by the practical jokes at which Paul was a master, fellowship,
which initially included the consumption of adult beverages (this was later banned when it became a
problem) and business networking. There was even singing which purportedly started when a speaker
was about to tell an inappropriate joke and Harry Ruggles, a very vibrant member, recognized where
the story was going and interrupted it with, “Let’s sing!” The song was probably something like, “Let
Me Call You Sweetheart,” .and the incident spawned the unwritten rule that, meetings should permit a
lady to attend without blushing. Paul Harris, who had a fine tenor voice, warmed to the idea and would
also join in. The tradition has continued for over 100 years.

And so it went, but meetings had become less and less satisfying for some members, especially those
for whom the business exchange model was not working, and they dropped out. Gustave Loehr and
Hiram Shorey, two of the four founders, left the club within months of those first meetings and even
Paul Harris himself had thoughts of allowing the club to disband in late 1906. It was at a time when his
sweetheart, socialite Grace Mann, announced that she would not be marrying him, reportedly because
her father did not think the Midwestern lawyer of “inconsequential repute” good enough for his daughter.
Paul went into a deep depression over this and his interest in the club waned dramatically.

Fortunately for us all, with the help of his best friend, Sylvester Schiele and others, Paul came out of
the doldrums with a new verve and commitment to Rotary. As Al White’s term as the club president
ended, Paul accepted the position as its third president. New to the leadership role, for he usually
chose to guide and motivate from the sidelines, and believing that the club had to have something
substantial to offer, he presented a strong three-point plan for revitalizing Rotary. His first goal was to
significantly increase club membership; his second, to develop clubs in other cities; and the third goal
was to initiate civic projects for the betterment of the community.

Next month’s Rotary Moment will discuss how Rotary got its name (this may surprise you), how the
club successfully expanded into other cities, and the nature of its first projects as a service organization.

Comments are based on Paul Harris and the Birth of Rotary, by Fred A. Carvin. — AC