Crawford McCullough, Fort William Ontario, Canada

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1922 Convention Cover

Dr. Wolfgang Ziegler, 15 Jan 2008

Also see 1962 and 2008

All graphics from Dr. Wolfgang Ziegler

Los Angeles 1922

The creation of Rotary International

The Los Angeles Convention held at the Philharmonic Auditorium at 5th and Olive Streets between June 5th and 9th 1922 saw 5,858 registered representing 956 clubs. Again, club growth continued at a pace - 289 clubs had been formed in the year 1921-22 giving a total of 1,273.

In this new land of the dream factory, Rotarians had to, and did, make the trip to Hollywood as part of the entertainment program. One Rotarian would play a pivotal role in the movie industry, Will Hays, from Indiana - ex-postmaster general in President Harding's administration and speaker at the previous year's convention. Hays had been appointed head of the Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors of America.

Paul Harris' address talked of the growing international movement. "Rotary is the door to friendship. Let us throw it open to every people." One man, Jim Davidson, was responsible as much as any for the continued expansion, he said, "We believe high attendance provides the foundation for efficiency in Rotary".

The British territorial unit was fully recognized by International Rotary. It was now known, and still is best known, by its initials - RIBI and given qualified powers of self-government.

Brevity would be the buzz-word of the Convention. Samuel B. Botsford, the Chairman of the Committee on Constitution and By-laws moved "That the name of the International Association of Rotary Clubs should hereafter be Rotary International and that all members of the International Association of Rotary Clubs are herby declared to be Member Clubs of Rotary International." This, perhaps, obvious name change was, initially, at the suggestion of Charles White of Belfast Rotary Club.

***The Name ROTARY INTERNATIONAL had been appearing on the wheel emblems for some time previous. (The full name of the International Association of Rotary Clubs being, obviously, far too laborious a task to insert on the wheel!***

Calum Thomson

Membership for Women Impossible.

Section 3 of Article IV of the Constitution declares that: A Rotary Club shall be composed of men with the qualifications hereinafter provided:

" That they are adult male persons of good character and good business reputation". Section 3 of

Article III of the By-Laws states:  Any male person who has distinguished himself by some meritorious service may selected to honorary membership in a Rotary Club ". This explains the impossibility of electing women as either active or honorary members of a Rotary club.

The 1914-15 Executive Committee approved the policy to discourage the formation of Women's Rotary Clubs; to forbid appropriation of the Rotary name by any organization that is not likely to be admitted as an affiliated Rotary club.

The 1915-16 Board of Directors disapproved the formation of either Women's Auxiliary Rotary or Women's Independent Rotary Clubs and the use of the Rotary name, it seeing understood that Rotary International has no objection to the spirit of our organization seeing carried under some other name.

The 1915-16 Board of Directors agreed they did not favour the adoption of the use of the name Rotary or of Rotarians in connection with the establishment of Women's Auxiliary units or other organizations and that Rotary clubs should discourage such organizations from using the name “Rotary" or “Rotarians."

The 1916-17 Board of Directors agreed that there is no objection to the formation of an auxiliary composed of wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters of Rotarians to be known as the Ladies' Auxiliary of the ----- Rotary Club. (In granting this approval the board had before it a definite plan with regard to an Auxiliary and its activities in the form of a letter" signed by the wife of a Rotarian.)

At its December, 1918 meeting, the board gave consideration to information at hand showing that

a few Rotary clubs have women’s auxiliary units or other organizations using the word Rotary or

Rotarians, and IT W AS VOTED that this board does not favour the adoption of the use of the

name Rotary or of Rotarians in connection with the establishment of such organizations and that

Rotary clubs should discourage such organizations from using the name of Rotary or of

Rotarians.