In 1912 the
movement became the International Association of Rotary Clubs in
Duluth, the Zenith City of the USA. The motion to change names was made
by C E Fletcher of
Winnipeg Rotary Club, Canada
- the only 'international' club present. Telegrams from the British
Isles were received at the Convention. Fletcher, incidentally, declined
the offer of Vice-President for Canada and was replaced by W J Clubb.
Glenn C Mead was the new President of the Rotary movement. Mead
was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania in 1870 and educated at Harvard,
graduating in 1891. Mead became an instructor in classics at the
Episcopal Academy, Philadelphia and studied law part-time. He gained
admission to the bar in Philadelphia in 1900. Glenn Mead was an
independent Republican and reformer and was elected Assistant City
Solicitor in 1911. In 1908 Mead began his own law practice and helped
organize the Philadelphia Rotary Club in 1910, becoming its first
President.
Harris told the Convention in his Report of the spread of Rotary but was
concerned with the slow progress in the South. He also said, "If you,
Brother Rotarian, think that you have a great mission to perform in
Rotary, remember that great missions are serious undertakings. |
Do not
expect to perform great missions in a day. First, live with the
principles of Rotary till they are as familiar to you as your own
business, and associate with Rotarians until they constitute your
warmest and closest friends. If your desire is results, mould your
propaganda to conform to the recognised principles of Rotary before
attempting to make it a part of Rotary."
Rotarian Aldrich of St Louis Rotary Club moved that Mead's
predecessor Paul Harris be made President Emeritus.
The Duluth Convention was reported in The Rotarian' of September 1912
(before the official proceedings reports) and shows the Objects of
Rotary as adopted on August 9th 1912. We also see a telegram from
Stuart Morrow
telling the Convention that a new club has been formed -
Edinburgh.
Doug Rudman & Calum Thomson
The Call to the convention
In 1912 at Duluth the IARC
decided to organise the North American clubs into eight geographic
regions. These were called 'Divisions' and included: Central,
Southern, Western, Western Canada, Eastern, Division 5. However as the
number of clubs increased, the IARC altered this in 1915 with new
regions, all numbered. |
Founder
Paul Harris' final term as president. At the Duluth convention he sees his
organization become international and he is elected president emeritus.