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Ostende, first Rotary Club on the European continent.

The 18th Convention  Ostende, Belgium, June 5-10, with 6,412 in attendance

Harry Rogers, San Antonio, Texas

President Roger's home page

Read about Harry Rogers' major role in The Rotary Foundation

May we all, Christian, Jew, Mohammedan, Buddhist, Confucian, Agnostic and Infidel stand for once, shoulder to shoulder and humbly, reverently, hopefully repeat the words: On earth peace, goodwill toward men.”  PH

Ostende was the first convention to be held on the continent of Europe. Continental European countries with Rotary Clubs were by July 1927 (number of clubs): Spain (13), France (12), Denmark (3), Norway (5), Holland (6), Belgium (8), Italy (17),  Switzerland (10),  Czecho-Slovakia (7), Austria (3), Hungary (1), Portugal (1), Sweden (1) and Finland (1). The outstanding event of Rotary in Europe was the admission of Germany into the Rotary family of nations.

 T. C. Thomsen from the Rotary Club of Aarhus, Denmark and member of the extension committee was responsible for the foundation of Rotary Clubs in Germany (pers. communication of Rotarian Wedemeyer, RC Sylt-Westerland, author of the book “75 Years of Rotary in Germany”). The first German Rotary Club, Hamburg, was chartered on October 8, 1927

Wolfgang Ziegler

King Albert I of the Belgians opens the first Rotary International Convention on the continent of Europe, held in Ostende in 1927.

 

From David Shelley Nicholl "The Golden Wheel."

Doug Rudman

At the convention, King Albert, a Rotarian, said during his remarks, "A Rotarian myself, as your president has kindly remembered - and I think I am alone in the classification to which I belong".  Also see "Famous Rotarians"

Harry H. Rogers, RI President 1926-1927, San Antonio, Texas

Rogers finished his address with the following words: 

“There is a destiny that makes us brothers

None can live to himself alone.

All that we send into the lives of others,

Comes back into our own.”

"This little gavel, as I have said, is made out of the wood of the mantel in that home where Paul Harris spent his boyhood days. There is an inlaid piece of Charter Oak of Connecticut, and perhaps that may signify the sturdiness of the Rotary movement. This gavel has a silver plate which says:" Albert, King of Belgium, Rotary’s Royal Host, distinguished the Ostende convention by his presence.

After the President’s address, Immediate Past President Don Adams presented President Rogers with a gavel: 

 

To

President Harry Rogers

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

Ostende, Belgium, 1927

Made of wood from

Paul Harris’ boyhood home

by Junior Achievement

Club Members of U.S.A.

 

Address by His Majesty, Albert, King of the Belgian 

His Majesty, Albert, King of the Belgians, arrived at the Kursaal, accompanied by his royal escort and delivered an address of welcome

The Crown Prince of Belgium presented RI secretary Ches Perry with the... .... Officers Cross of the Order of the Crown of Belgium

Message from Paul Harris - Thereafter, Vivian Carter, Secretary of R.I.B.I. read the message from Paul Harris

“On earth peace, goodwill toward men”

“The three generals in command of the destructive forces are: Suspicion Jealousy and Fear

Let us stimulate and encourage the constructive forces and place in their command, the three greatest generals the world has ever known: Faith Love and Courage.”

May we all, Christian, Jew, Mohammedan, Buddhist, Confucian, Agnostic and Infidel stand for once, shoulder to shoulder and humbly, reverently, hopefully repeat the words: On earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

With the exception of the House of Friendship, the entire Convention Organization was located in the Kursaal and the auditorium was used for all Convention Meetings

In Memoriam 

Secretary Chesley R. Perry spoke in memoriam:

“Representative of all our comrades who have gone from this life during the past year, I mention one by name – Albert S. Adams – who once held the highest office in Rotary.”

Preliminary Convention Activities 

The New York City Club provided lounging rooms for the parting Rotarians, and on the day of embarkation a farewell luncheon was given in the magnificent ballroom of the Waldorf –Astoria. Sunday, June 5th, was a day of various activities for visiting Rotarians. Many of them attended church in Ostend. Others took trips to Bruges, the battlefields of Ypres and Nieport, and short trips around the city.
Speech by Raymond J. Knoeppel 

In his speech about “Historical Evolution of Rotary Ideas” Raymond J. Knoeppel from the Rotary Club of New York City and Director of Rotary International 1927-28, said the following: 

Many men have wondered whether Paul Harris ever visioned a pro-gress a great as we have today. At on time, I wondered myself, but after several years of closer contact with Paul and reading some of his early remarks, I am convinced that he saw in the simple beginning something almost as great as what has transpired, for he said at the same first convention in 1910: 

“I would not dare to tell you, gentlemen, right now what I think about the future of this organization, or you would think me visionary.” 

At the banquet following the same Convention, Mr. A. F. Sheldon, speaking, said: 

As a man comes into light of wisdom, he comes to see that only the science of right conduct towards others pays. He comes to see that the science of business is the science of human service. He comes to see that he profits most who serves his fellows best.” 

Resolutions 

The resolutions adopted or rejected by the Ostend convention dealt mostly with some petty bureaucratic details or wild ideas like the introduction of Esperando as the Official International Auxiliary Language of Rotary (withdrawn). However, attendance was a major concern as can be concluded from the first resolution (adopted):  

“To extend the period of time during which a Rotarian may make up attendance at the meeting of another   Rotary Club”.

Epilogue 

From the Weekly Letter of Rotary International Monday 11 July 1927: 

At a luncheon in Brussels, the Crown Prince of Belgium, representing the Kind and the Council of State, presented the following decorations as an expression of the Belgian Government’s appreciation of the Rotary movement and its establishment in Belgium: 

Harry H. Rogers – Commander of the Order of the Crown 

Chesley R. Perry – Officer of the Order of the Crown

Picture Chesley R. Perry shown above and Officers Cross 

Walter D. Cline (Committee Chairman, Rotary Club Wichita falls, Texas) – Commander of the Order of Leopold II 

Gaston Danthine ( Member of the 1927 Convention Administrative Committee, from Brussels) – Chevalier of the Order of the Crown 

Edouard Willems (Governor of Distrikt 61, Belgium, 1927-28) – Officer of the Order of Leopold II

Wolfgang Ziegler

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