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Total Club
Representation was 1,312 including 1,143 US Clubs, 58 Canadian Clubs and
76 British Isles Clubs.
As
Herman Spoehrer, President of the
Rotary Club of St Louis welcomed
 delegates to
the extreme heat of his city, he said: "We believe you will find St
Louis which is practically the geographic center of the North American
Continent, truly Rotarian in character, in that it combines the Culture
of the East, the Vision of the West, the Energy of the North and the
Hospitality of the South".
The
Convention's landmark is probably
Resolution 23-34 that directed Clubs
towards the goal of Community Service, "based upon a real community need
and requiring the collective co-operation of all its members". Thus, the
Classification system had a purpose and Rotary had a path to follow.
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Arch Klumph spoke to the Convention as Chair of the Extension
Committee. And, what a group of Rotarians he had for a team -
Jim Davidson,
Ches Perry, John Bain Taylor (London) and Will R Manier JR
(future RI President in 1934)! The extension of Rotary was in full swing
thanks to these committed Rotarians .
The Convention
welcomed the Chief Executive of the USA to its podium. President
Warren G Harding was clearly popular with the 8,000 audience being a
Rotarian himself. His address would be his last significant address as
President - he sadly died just over a month later.
Interestingly enough, Harding's refusal to have anything to do with the
infantile League of Nations was heavily criticised by Rotarians some 20
years later in the same city of St Louis as the nightmare of war
overwhelmed the world. Rotarians would then become fully committed to
the concept of a United Nations as the only way to prevent further wars
in the future and engage in the setting up process.
Calum Thomson |
