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HISTORY CALENDAR SECTION HOME Conventions of Rotary International THEMES
HOST CLUBS 50TH ANN. CENTENNIAL 1ST CONVENTION COMPLETE LIST DISCUSSION
COORDINATOR NEEDED COMMITTEE WHAT'S NEW? UPDATES
 7th Convention, Cincinnati, OH, July 16-20 with 3,591 in attendance

Until the Houston convention in 1914, Rotary had celebrated all its conventions in August. After the convention in Buffalo, 18-21 August 1913, the dates of the Houston convention were changed to 22-26 June 1914. Subsequently, the conventions of San Francisco (1915) and Cincinnati (1916) were celebrated in July. At that point, Rotary established a tradition, programming the convention for a date near the end of the Rotary year, in May or June. 

Although the present practice to identify the salient president of Rotary International with the convention that is celebrated at the end of his or her year of office, does not necessarily apply to the conventions celebrated during the term of office of Frank L. Mulholland, 1914-15. He was chosen by the delegates of the Houston convention, and he participated in the convention of San Francisco, 18-23 July 1915. Russell Greiner, 1913-14, and Arch Klumph, 1916-17, celebrated two conventions during their terms in office; they shared these conventions with their predecessors and successors.

Albert D. Albert, Minneapolis, MN
217 Clubs were represented by 497 delegates out of a total of 3,828 present at the Emery Auditorium of the Ohio Mechanics Institute at Canal & Walnut Streets. There had been a 6,300 membership increase in the year to July 1916 taking the total membership number to an impressive 27,000. Club growth had also expanded from 167 to 230 Clubs in total.

Mayor George Puchta welcomed everyone to his city; a city where Kansas City Rotarians had come with the playful objective of 'taking the sin out of Cincinnati'! The first non-English speaking club of Havana, Cuba was represented but unfortunately, Paul Harris, again failed to appear.

As always, the President Emeritus sent a carefully crafted message to rally the troops. Harris talked about the "progress of Rotary rapidly gaining momentum". He went on, "Indefinite, inarticulate Rotary is giving way to a Rotary definite and describable".

Rotary was beginning a new future - "Faith, hope, charity and clean business, these four, and the greatest of these is clean business." Good business would naturally produce by-products - namely - civic and charitable activities.

Paul Harris, in a letter, paid tribute to the Seattle Club who were a wonderful example of the new philosophy. He wrote, "The Seattle Club by reason of the tendencies of some of its leaders, and also by reason of special conditions which existed there, evolved the idea that Rotary's great usefulness would be, not in vying and competing with organizations, but established for the purpose of studying business elevating its standards and increasing its efficiency". Harris had been converted to the Seattle thinking by, amongst others, Past President James Pinkham.

What resolutions were discussed in 1916? One resolution (19) called for film censorship. It urged the establishment of local boards of censors with a view of eliminating objectionable moving pictures. The Rev Leslie Pidgeon of Winnipeg Rotary club and a future International President seconded the resolution.

Arch Klumph of the nearby Cleveland Club became International President -and began to conceive new ideas for the Rotary movement. Klumph may well be best known for initiating the Rotary Foundation but he was also heavily involved in Rotary extension and played a large part in the formation of the Havana club.

Calum Thomson

 

Read Harris' letter to the convention.

Harris also wrote a letter to a round table at the convention.
 

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