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History of Rotary in CHILE
A Part of our History of Rotary in
South America
Prepared by the district and not verified by Rotary Global History
District 4320: From Arica to Casablanca, with 66 clubs and approximately 1290 Rotarians.
District 4340: From Santiago to Talca, with 64 clubs and approximately 1430 Rotarians.
District 4360: From Constitution to Curacautín, with 42 clubs and about 740 Rotarians.
District 4350: From Temuco to Punta Arenas, with 56 clubs and about 1020 Rotarians.
For the history of Rotary in Chile, you will find a full and comprehensive description under
District 4340.
In the early years of Chilean Rotary, there was was no district number allocated specifically for Chile.
It was not until 1 April 1927 that District 64 was created to incorporate all clubs in both Chile and Bolivia.
In the short period to 1 July 1938, the number of clubs in Chile increased dramatically to 79, matching similar
growth of Rotary throughout South America.
The Chilean Government has always been an enthusiastic supporter of Rotary.
Over the years, visiting Rotarians, past R.I. presidents, local District Governors and others have been recognised
for their invaluable support of the community, via the endowment of official honours.
R.I. President Armando de Arruda Pereira, in November 1940;
Fernando Carvajal, in 1942, and
Richard Wells, in January 1945
all received prestigious decorations from the Government of Chile.
VISITS FROM ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTS
Chile must be a favourite location for RI Presidents to visit.
Between 1937 and 1966, the following Presidents have visited the country -
On 20 September 1937, the President of RI, Maurice Duperrey
of France, visited Chile and was received by the Rotary Clubs of Santiago and Valparaiso.
In the 1940s three Presidents of Rotary International visited Chile:-
Armando de Arruda Pereira, in November 1940;
Fernando Carvajal, in 1942, and
Richard Wells, in January 1945.
All were decorated by the Government of Chile.
During this period Hamel Armando de Souza served as RI Third Vice President in 1942-43 and Carlos Hoerning Doll
was Vice President of RI during 1945-46.
In the year 1954-55 Distirct128 (now 4340) celebrated its 50th anniversary with the Governor, Alberto Vergara of
RC Chambers of Providence.
In that year, Rotary International President
Herbert Taylor (creator of the Quad-Test) and his wife
Gloria, who come to Chile on 6 December 1954. Taylor subsequently visited Valparaiso and Concepcion where he received
the tribute of Rotarians and the community.
The festivities culminated the 50th Anniversary of Rotary with a Tridistrital Conference, held in Las Termas de
Puyehue, which also saw the appointment Ernesto RI Imbassahy de Melo as Director of the Board of Rotary International.
As of 1st July 1957 Chile was divided into four numbered from north to south, 472, 474, 476 and 478.
In the 1958 year, RI President Charles G. Tennent
visited Chile and in audience with the President of the Republic, was decorated by the Government.
With the assistance of municipal authorities a monolith was erected on Paul Harris Avenue, in the Commune of Las Condes.
On 20 February 1963 the RI President Nitish C. Laharry
of India visited the country;
President-elect
Carl P. Millar accompanied by his wife Ruth, visited us on 11 March 1963;
R.I. President-Elect Evans
and his wife Alice from 25th to
27th April 1966;
President-Elect James F. Conway
and his wife Evelyn who
represented President RI Kiyoshi Togasaki,
who was prevented
from coming at the last minute due to illness.
In August 1971 R.I. President Ernst G. Breitholtz
accompanied by his wife Brita visited us from Sweden;
On 15 March 1973 President Roy D.Hickman
and his wife Dorothy travelled the district.
PAUL HARRIS IN CHILE.
Paul Harris and his wife Jean, arrived in Chile on 28 February,
1936, to attend the First South American Regional Conference to be held in Valparaiso.
In a solemn session conducted by the RC of Santiago on March 3, Paul Harris said in his speech: "Happiness is to
devote their lives in the service of our fellow Rotary and we sought a way to find such happiness"
With the assistance of 350 delegates, of whom 93 were from other countries, from 4 to March 8, 1936 began the South
American Regional Conference in the Victoria theater, at which Chilean Foreign Minister, Miguel Cruchaga Tocornal,
decorated Paul Harris with the Order of Merit of the
Government of Chile.
Interesting statistics of South American Rotarians follows:
|
Country
|
Clubs
|
Rotarians
|
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Argentina
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57
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1,637
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Bolivia
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11
|
308
|
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Brazil
|
51
|
1,396
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CHILE Chile
|
79
|
2,021
|
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Colombia
|
18
|
369
|
|
Costa Rica Costa Rica
|
1
|
43
|
|
Cuba
|
38
|
1,126
|
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Ecuador
|
8
|
169
|
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Guatemala
|
1
|
37
|
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Honduras
|
2
|
40
|
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México Mexico
|
46
|
1,038
|
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Nicaragua
|
2
|
46
|
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Panamá Panama
|
3
|
108
|
|
Paraguay
|
2
|
39
|
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Perú Peru
|
35
|
817
|
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Puerto Rico Puerto Rico
|
7
|
259
|
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El Salvador El Salvador
|
2
|
53
|
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Uruguay
|
11
|
288
|
|
Venezuela
|
1
|
52
|
|
Total Overall
|
375 375
|
9,846
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acknowledgement to the Board, clubs and members of
District 4340
Researched and posted by RGHF Senior Global Webmaster,
Greg Barlow, Malaysia 21 August 2008
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