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HISTORY CALENDAR SECTION HOME Conventions of Rotary International THEMES
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 The 32nd Convention - Denver, CO, June 15-20, with 8,942 in attendance

Also in Denver in 1926 and 1966

Armando de Arruda Pereira, Sao Paulo, Brazil

 

ARMANDO AND TOM -- When, at midnight on June 30, 1941 Rotary leadership fell upon new shoulders throughout the world, Rotary's highest office, the international Presidency, passed between these Rotarians—from Armando de Arruda Pereira, of Sáo Paulo, Brazil, to Attorney Tom J. Davis, of Butte, Montana. A year ago, in his inaugural address and guest editorial, President Pereira called for "More Clubs . . . More Friends!" Rotarians responded, despite world upheaval, with 137 new Clubs, 56 of them in his own hemisphere, and quickly came to regard this smiling engineer as their symbol of growing inter-American understanding. This photograph was taken during the International Assembly at Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the week preceding Rotary's 1941 Convention at Denver. 

Picture and caption were found on page 6 of the July 1941 issue of the Rotarian.

Doug Rudman

Wolfgang Ziegler
Jean and Paul Harris presented at the Denver Convention

Rotary Sundial dedicated on 14,000 foot peak.

Rotary memorial on top of Mt. Evans (a 14,000 foot peak) placed there by the Rotarians of District 113 (Now D5450) in l941 in honor of the Rotary International convention that was hosted by Denver Rotary in June of that year. 

RI Archives

 

Pereira Bio

Wolfgang Ziegler

It was to be dedicated by the then RI President Armando de Arruda Pereira of Sao Paulo, Brazil in June of that year.  Because of the weather it could not be dedicated until August. The succeeding RI President Tom J. Davis of Butte, Montana was able to return to Colorado for the dedication.

View from the Top of Mt. Evans, Colorado

Courtesy of PDG Norris Hermsmeyer D5450 and PDG Eddie Blender D5470

The "Objects of Rotary"

on Mt. Evans

The Re-dedication...

The 1941 Convention in Denver was held between June 15th and 20th with a registration of 8,956. Of these, 8,738 were American - the rest traveling from the relative safety of Mexico, Canada or Cuba.

 The  number of clubs fell in this unhappy period from 5,066 in 1940 to 5,058 in 1941. Japan's 44 clubs became non-existent and  the figures would have been much worse if not for the rapid acceleration of clubs in South America, perhaps inspired by Brazilian President of RI Pereira.

Again, the dilemma of a world where some Rotarians were at war and others not dominated events. President Pereira made clear that he believed that Rotary Clubs "in a country not at war cannot be used for war purposes. Rotary Clubs in a country at war will do their part to serve their country, but in doing so should not attempt to use their friendship with Rotary Clubs in other countries not at war to promote war purposes in such countries".

Sadly, this dilemma did not concern countries such as the USA by the end of the year.		 Both Paul and Jean Harris attended the Convention where Paul both reminisced and looked to the future: "If an impracticable League of Nations was the offspring of the World War, perhaps a practicable League of Nations will be the child of the present war". Rotary would, indeed, played its part in setting up such a practicable League of Nations - the United Nations.

Harris ended by quoting: "Watchman, what of the night?"

"The morning Cometh"

He ended hoping -"Let the morning come soon".

RIBI's Tom Warren spoke to the Convention via a link from London and the gathering told him at the end of his emotional speech that they were with him.

The new President, Tom J Davis proclaimed that "Rotary was born in time of peace, but its program of service is even more necessary in a period of world conflict".

Calum Thomson
 

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