Some of
the historians of Rotary will mention some of the precursor clubs of the
world. Paul Harris' vision cannot be overestimated - and Rotary was
without doubt unique - but it would be wrong to ignore those
previous clubs who bear a resemblance to our Rotary movement of today.
One such club was the Junto Club -a club that also had a
classification system.
 The
Junto Club was formed in 1727 by that great American patriot Benjamin
Franklin (1706-90). This was a club for mutual improvement and met on
Friday evenings. One requirement for membership was that every three
months, each member had to read an essay of their own work on any
subject. The Club involved itself in debates; acquaintance; queries on
politics, morals and natural philosophy.
The first project of the Junto was the establishment of a subscription
library with 50 subscribers each contributing 40 shillings.
The club was restricted in numbers to just 12, though some members
wished to extend the club however as the Junto was essentially a secret
club this was difficult. Franklin proposed an alternative strategy of
setting up a subordinate club.
Franklin
published his Rules for a club Established for Mutual Improvement (1728)
in his Autobiography, written between 1771 and 1788. Franklin described
the meetings of the Junto Club.
Various questions had to be asked at each meeting of the club such as -
Do you think of anything at present in which the Junto may be
serviceable to 'mankind' to their country, to their friends or to
themselves?
Another question to be asked was - Do you know of any deserving young
beginner lately set up, whom it lies in the power of the Junto any way
to encourage? |
The Junto Club member needed to be qualified to join. Four answers were
needed from potential members which included:
--Do
you sincerely declare that you love mankind in general, of whatever
profession or religion ?
--Do
you love truth for truth's sake, and will you endeavour impartially to
find and receive it yourself, and communicate it to others?
It is clear that there are some parallels with Rotary.
Calum Thomson
Source: The
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
 "I
should have mentioned before, that, in the autumn of the preceding year,
I had form'd most of my ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual
improvement, which we called the JUNTO; we met on Friday evenings. The
rules that I drew up required that every member, in his turn, should
produce one or more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural
Philosophy, to be discuss'd by the company; and once in three months
produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased.
Our debates were to be under the direction of a president, and to be
conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth, without fondness
for dispute, or desire of victory; and, to prevent warmth, all
expressions of positiveness in opinions, or direct contradiction, were
after some time made contraband, and prohibited under small pecuniary
penalties." Benjamin Franklin "The Private Life of the late Benjamin
Franklin LL.D." |
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