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| The 31st
Convention -
Habana, Cuba June 9-14 with 3,713 in attendance. |
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 Walter
D. Head of
Teaneck, NJ, USA was the President and Armando De Arruda
Pereira, of Sao Paulo, Brazil was president elect.
The last paragraph of RIP Walter D. Head’s article in the
July, 1939, issue of the Rotarian reads thusly, “I do not like slogans, but
if I were to express my hope and aim for the coming year, it would be:
“Every Rotarian a living example of Rotary principles in action.”
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| Rotary Club of Havana was
the first Non-English speaking club in Rotary, formed in 1915, during
the Rotary presidency of
Minneapolis Rotarian, Allen D.
Albert. The international convention
was held in that city June 9-14, 1940 with 3,713 registered.
Below is a collection of stamps, signed by Rotarians
from Chicago and other cities, including president Walter and president
elect Armando and and editor of The Rotarian Magazine |
 As
part of their appreciation in being allowed to host the 1940
International Convention, the Cuban government issued stamps in
honor of the convention, and hoped that delegates would use them to
write home.
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Wolfgang Ziegler
Havana stamp
(and hotel postcard) collection, courtesy of
Wolfgang Ziegler |
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The Officers and Directors Rotary International for 1939 - 1940 Havana
Convention |
1940 RI president Walter D. Head's signature is in the center of these
stamps |
General Secretary Ches Perry and RI President Elect Pereira hold in informal
conference |
Convention Stamp signed by A. de A. Pereira, "Future - Past Pres" of RI, S.
Paulo Brazil |
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Gifts from Havana Rotarians. |
Leland D. Case, Editor of The Rotarian 1935 - 1950 |
H. W. Hines of Chicago #1 |
Chicago #1 signature |
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Also see the
History of Rotary
on Stamps Fellowship
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Chicago #1 signature |
Rotary Headquarters hotel -
From the collection Dr. Wolfgang
Ziegler |
Our complete history of
Rotary in Cuba
Courtesy of Dr.
Wolfgang Ziegler, RGHF Senior Historian 31 May 2006 |
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The Convention
of 1940 was held between June 9th and 13th in the temporary haven of
peace and tranquility in Havana. Initially, the Convention was scheduled
for Rio de Janeiro but the outbreak of war ended that plan. An
inevitable low turnout of 3,719 registered representing 2,686 Clubs. The
main Convention Hall was the Centro Asturiano.
Carlos Manuel Calvet, President of the Havana Rotary Club welcomed all
to Cuba. Fredrico Laredo Bru, the President of Cuba was also present to
greet Rotarian guests.
Again, there was the loss of many Rotary Clubs. Spain's 24 and 39 Czech
clubs officially ceased to function. The Clubs in Holland, Belgium,
Norway and Denmark had not been in contact - little was known - and
regretfully it was assumed they also had ceased to function.
Paul Harris
did not travel to Cuba due to ill health and his
message
was read out by Guy Gundaker. Harris referred yet again to Burns' poem A
Man's A Man For A' That - a poem whose subject is the brotherhood of
man.
Future RI President
Tom Warren spoke to the Convention
about his home town of Wolverhampton. His Club had called a meeting 2
days after the War broke out. There was a debate as to whether Rotary
should carry on but the feeling was positive that 'we should adapt our
program to the changing circumstances'. War did affect the Rotary
program as no night meetings could function due to the blackout.
Vocational Service took on new meaning due to War. |
Community
Service concentrated on the refugees from the Eastern seas. Rotary acted
as foster fathers to children who lost their own fathers.
Warren was,
also, Chairman of the newly established nominating committee for
President. The committee would choose the Brazilian Armando de Arrudo
Pereira. Fluent in five languages, he had, as district governor
(District 72), increased Brazil's Rotary Clubs by 15. Pereira was a
friend of Paul Harris and had translated his book 'This
Rotarian Age' into Portuguese. As Clubs in Europe
disappeared,
Rotary in South America began to
expand at gigantic rates.
The Board of Directors conceived a document entitled 'Rotary Amid World
Conflict'. This stated the official view: "It is outside the competence
of the board of Rotary International to instruct Rotarians as to their
duties as citizens of their respective countries". But the Board went on
to conclude that Rotary can't exist where human rights don't exist.
Secretary Chesley Perry who had indicated a desire to retire
rescinded that decision and vowed to carry on. Many of the British
Rotarians viewed the old secretary as an obstacle to RI taking a
more active and decisive role in this second World War.
However, almost all could agree that refugees were Rotarians main
priority and all Rotarians everywhere could help in this area.
Calum Thomson |
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