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ADDRESS BY ARCH C. KLUMPH,

PAST ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT,

DELIVERED AT THE DISTRICT CONFERENCE

IN WOOSTER, OHIO, JULY 12,1950.

Governor "Hi", Past District Governor, and Fellow Rotarians of 229th District:

We have just returned from another remarkable International Assembly - Institute - and Convention, my 34th. I will go into no detailed account, but I do want to speak about one feature which moved me deeply -- "The grand entrance or processional". At the opening session, it has been customary to have an impressive entrance. At Detroit three uniformed trumpeters stepped out on the stage and sounded a fanfare; then the huge pipe organ pealed forth "Onward Christian Soldiers". Following were about eighty-three 10-year old boy scouts, dressed in clean scout uniforms, hair combed straight back, each proudly carrying high the flag of a Rotary Nation. They kept thirty to forty feet apart, giving the audience an opportunity to do honor to each one. They proceeded from the rear up the center aisle on to the stage, and with perfect order deposited each flagpole into a receptacle. The Scout then stood erect in front of his flag. It was a glorious sight, and the audience gave thunderous applause. I admit I was choked with emotion, and tears came to my eyes.

Then there came to my mind the day I was elected President of R.I. in 1916, when the grand entry required the flags of but four nations -- the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Cuba.

I must also say a word about our new International President who is quite unknown to most Rotarians. I am particularly interested in this fellow due to the fact that I raised his club from the grave, as it died at childbirth. In 1920, after addressing the Rotary Club of Montreal, Mrs. Klumph and I decided to visit the old and historic city of Quebec. The Rotary roster showed, "Rotary Club of Quebec, Frank Caral, President. I called on Mr. Caral, and immediately asked "How is your club getting on?", whereupon he replied with much chagrin: "Mr. Klumph, we really have no Rotary Club here. Some fellow came along here a year or two ago and talked Rotary to me. I became somewhat interested. He suggested that I call a few friends which I did, and at his suggestion we agreed to form a Rotary Club. I was elected President. But we never had a single meeting. The whole thing dropped out of sight." At this point I began telling Caral about my visit to the Rotary Clubs of the British Isles the previous year with Pete Snedecor of Portland as my colleague. We constituted the first official commission, on a mission of good will. We visited nineteen clubs in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, returning on the steamer "Olympic" with 2000 Canadian troops, their ranking officer being Colonel Peyton Ralston, who afterwards became Secretary of Defense for Canada. At the end of my story Caral became quite enthused. He remarked: "I am President of the Automobile Club of Quebec which is our leading civic organization. We are going to have a meeting tonight, and I would like to have you accompany me and tell the gathering there the story which you have Just narrated." This I did, and to a crowd of more than 200 men. At the close as Caral and I left to catch a train, a long line of men followed us shouting to Caral "Put me down for Rotary", "I join", etc. etc. So the Rotary Club of Quebec was reborn, and is today one of our most enthusiastic clubs, which gave us a great Assembly and Institute two years ago. The President of the Club was Arthur Lagueux. Everyone was charmed with his remarkable personality. You will see him soon.

* * * * * *

Now! Governor "Hi" specifically asked me to speak this morning on the history of our District. Well, briefly, here it is: First, let me relate what led up to it. In February 1914, as President of the Cleveland Club, I visited the Rotary Club of Boston which was putting on an all Rotary Exposition. There I met for the first time International President Greiner, incoming President Mulholland, and Secretary Perry. Each of us spoke at a banquet the first evening, at the close of which Greiner came to me and said: "Young fellow, we are going to find a place for you in Rotary". They invited me to go with them to New York and then on to Washington. In April, two months later, I invited Greiner and Perry to visit our Rotary Club of Cleveland, which they did. During the afternoon they met with our Board of Directors in a private dining room in the C.A.C. As host chairman, I chose to discuss the Club Constitution and By-Laws, of which I had made a careful study, calling the attention of our two International officers to many important changes which I felt were necessary. In Article One, I suggested adding the words "Or any man occupying a position of importance in an executive capacity and with discretionary authority". Second, I suggested changing the term "associate member" to "one additional active member". Third, that the newspaper classification should not be restricted to one member only. Our two distinguished guests approved everyone of these suggestions, and several others. Shortly after the meeting, President Greiner approached me and remarked: "Arch, Ches and I have been discussing matters regarding our Constitution, and we both agree that we have found the man to serve as Chairman of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee of R.I." After catching my breath, never dreaming that I would eyer have an office in R.I., I agreed to try it, although this is usually a job for a lawyer. I had about six weeks before the convention at Houston, Texas, at which time the body politic approved all of my many suggested amendments. At this time I further called the attention of Greiner, Perry, and Mulholland, to the serious fact that the Constitution of R.I. in no way provided any power or authority over the local clubs. Yes Sir! they could have named their club anything they wanted; they could have written their own Objects; in fact, their whole Constitution, and there was no power or authority provided in the International Constitution to prevent it. As a result of this I was immediately appointed Chairman of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee for the second year, 1914-15, with authority to rewrite the whole Instrument. This I did, and after many stormy months of objections the Constitution was approved without a dissenting voice when put to a vote at San Francisco.

Now, here enters the Districts! This document provided for dividing Rotary International into a number of Districts to be determined after careful study, and that each District would select a supervisory officer representing the Board of R.I. whom I titled District Governor.

In the beginning there were nineteen Districts and nineteen District Governors. The document also provided that each District shall hold a District Conference each year, previous to the International Convention. Now it happened that at the end of the first year only eleven of the nineteen District Governors held a Conference,

but this was not surprising. Let me tell you what the situation was at that time: First, no allowance was made for expenses of a District Governor, not even his postage -- no allowance for traveling. One year later I came into office as President, my first job was to advise all the incoming Governors that they must hold a District Conference, or quit. One District Governor wrote me like this: "How in H - - - can I hold a District Conference when two of my clubs are twelve to fifteen hundred miles away?" That was from Winnipeg to Victoria) B.C. I wired him: "Mr. Governor, you must hold a District Conference if only a few members of your own club attend". He did, and from that day to this no district has failed to hold its conference. Our own District included all of Ohio, West Virginia, and Michigan. Now think of another thing: Very few men in those days owned an automobile, and even those that did, would hardly want to drive fifty miles and return over the dirt country roads that existed at that time, there being almost no paved roads in the State other than a few main arteries.

Now let me tell you what I had in mind at that time as the job for the District Governor. He was charged particularly with the responsibility of studying the weak clubs; (quite a few of them were very sick - some near the dying stage); to diagnose their case and prescribe a cure. Even within the last decade we have had a few very weak clubs in our District. The District Governors should have reported the true conditions to the International Board, and the Board should have written to such clubs that unless within sixty days they agreed to live up to all of the provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws, R.I. would find it necessary to take up their Charter.

With each succeeding year the District administration has improved until today, it is largely responsible not only for the growth but for the whole development of Rotary understanding and procedure.

Today we have approximately 300 Districts and a like number of District Governors. The work of the District Governors naturally grows and improves with experience. I believe the job today is this: In visiting the club he is there to examine the work of the officers and committees; he is to closely examine each committee chairman with a list of questions which should be provided for him, and with this done you would have a correct picture of each club. May I say to you Club Presidents - use careful judgment in appointing your Chairman of the Educational Committee -- in fact all Committees -- be sure that the Education Committee chairman educates himself first. I will not "pull my punches" on saying, not only here, but in many other parts of the country, that the classification rule is being violated. When a member is elected to membership, it requires that over sixty percent of his business is in the classification under which he is admitted. Also a member is not eligible to membership in a club unless his place of business is within the territorial limits of that club. There have been many violations of this rule. However, I am not at all opposed to changing the Constitution to provide for some constructive changes where necessary.

The laws of the District, and the provision for a District Governor began immediately upon the adoption of the Constitution in 1915.

Year      District Governor

1915    Charlie Laughlin of the Cleveland Club was elected first District Governor. Nothing was accomplished that year.

1916       J. A. Oswald of Dayton.

1917      Ed. R. Kelsey of Toledo. Ed. was one of the great men of Rotary at that period.

1918       Charles H. Brown of Columbus. Charlie was very anxious to be elected a Director of Rotary at Houston in 1914, but I was unexpectedly nominated, not by our own club, but by Lester Winchenbaugh, President of the Boston Club. I was elected.

1919        John R. Bentley of Cleveland. John was an outstanding Rotarian, a hard worker, and in 1924 was elected a Director. In this capacity he visited Rotary Clubs in Cuba and California representing the Board.

1920         Samuel H. Squire of Elyria. Sam was a fine man, standing high in Masonic circles. Later he was Superintendent of Banks for the State of Ohio. During the Convention at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1921, Sam. came to me saying he had learned that the people of Edinburgh had erected a very fine monument to the memory of Abraham Lincoln in _____________________Cemetery, he suggested that we lay a wreath at the foot of the Monument. This we did, with a card attached, reading "In Thoughtful Memory, U. S .A. Rotarians"

1921        Robert Patterson of Dayton was elected, and we remember Bob’s year, for the Conference which was held in his town, and the luncheon given by his company, The Dayton Cash Register in thier large plant.

1922         Theodore E. Smith of Akron who served with credit

1923         Samuel Siddall of Warren. I knew Sam intimately at the age of ten. He was a telegraph operator in the town of my birth, Conneautville, Pa., and I recall how I envied this wonderful boy only a few years older than I.

1924         Clarence H. Collings of Cleveland - never a more earnest worker for Rotary.

1925          Leonard T. Skeggs of Youngstown. Leonard made a fine reputation for himself, and afterwards became a Director at Ostend.

1926         Charles Hartmann of Toledo - a partner of former International President Mulholland. He was District Governor when on our way to Ostend, and on board ship was presented with a beautiful gold watch in recognition of his excellent service.

1927           Charles J. Starkey of Ashtabula. Charles performed his task with excellence.

1928           Joseph M. Markley of Canton, who has served as Secretary and been the "spark-plug" of his club for many years.

1929           Arthur R. Christy of Fremont. He and his lovely wife were both good singers, and upon each visit to a club they entertained with song.

1930           Lawrence H. Webber of Elyria. He was the son of a distinguished Jurist. On one occasion Larry stepped aside, and his father made the speech.

1931         Fred M. Hopkins of Fostoria - a newspaper editor and a fine Rotarian.

1932          Roland L. White of Toledo - is remembered to this day for his scholarly addresses.

1933        James G. Card of Cleveland. Jim, after serving as Governor, was elected Director of R.!. at Atlantic City in 1935; was Chairman of the Convention Committee in 1939. He has specialized on Vocational Service, and has covered th topic at many important Rotary gatherings

1934         Alva F. Gluck of Minerva. Alva (the old war horse) for twenty years has never failed to occupy a seat in the front row at Conventions and District Conferences.

1935          Paul V. Barrett of Findlay - a man of the highest character and an eloquent speaker.

1936           Dillon Crist of Alliance, who knew what the job was and did it well.

We now became District No. 158.

1937        Oliver D. Everhard of Barberton. His Rotary talks were most scholarly

1938        Ralph W. Bell of Bedford. Ralph has specialized on International Service, and has been an earnest worker each year up to the present.

1939          Ray H. Kaspar of Canton. The excellence of his service was much appreciated.

1940           H. K. Carpenter of Heights of Greater Cleveland. Many of us remember his arrangements at Denver in 1941 for a broadcast over short wave to the outposts of the world, acting as convener at a "round table" discussion of Rotary, with five men from different parts of the globe -- Australia, India, Egypt, Mexico, Peru -- and Arch Klumph to answer technical questions on Rotary procedure.

1941           Rev. Roland A. Luhman of Youngstown. .. .an eloquent speaker. His words and thoughts were highly constructive.

1942            Albert Zachary Baker of Cleveland. How can you keep a fellow with a name like that down? Named "Albert" after the King of Belgium; and "Zachary" after the 12th President of the United States and hero of Mexican War --Zachary Taylor. "Aze", as we know him, has already written his name on the pages of Rotary history, as Club President, District Governor, Director of R.I., and Chairman of an International Convention Committee.

1943          Norman W. Adams of Warren, who charmed us with his history of the Western Reserve, especially calling attention to the fact that Warren was originally selected to be the Metropolis or Capitol City of the Reserve instead of Cleveland. Yes! he explained how it happened, but I can't remember. (Probably some fellow pulled a card out of the deck!)

1944        Harry E. Votaw of Akron. He rendered great service to the Akron Club for many years as its Secretary.

1945        George S. Baldwin of East Cleveland. He also served R.I. as a member of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee of R.I.

1946        Robert A. Manchester II of Youngstown. Bob has been rendering outstanding service to Rotary for many years. He is a competent student of Rotary, and has participated in several International Assemblies.

1947        Wheeler J. Welday of Steubenville - our first farmer (fruit grower) Governor. He was a man of the highest character, and his address to each club was very instructive.

1948        Russell A. Strausser of Louisville - an educator. a very pleasant one. His administration was a very pleasant one.

1949        Hugh K. Dawson of Lakewood was elected. At his recent District Conference, I paid very high tribute to him for his outstanding service as an examining officer of Rotary. Hugh's talents should be further utilized.

And now it's Governor "Hi". I am sure that he will measure up with the best of them.

The foregoing list of names is something that the District can be duly proud of. Each one served in his own particular way. Again I repeat that this job of D.G. has had to make itself, and dependent upon knowledge gained as Rotary progressed. I give it you as my personal opinion that the principal duty of the District Governor is to visit each club at least once each year and to make a careful examination of their operation and procedure. Club officers should recognize the importance of his office and give him a most respectful hearing. He should be very specific in questioning as to any violations of the classification rule. Percy Hodgson and many Past Presidents have mentioned this fact. Also ascertain if the A. & O. Committee understand its purpose, and to see that no club is allowed to be a one-cylinder club. There is grave danger of our becoming a popular luncheon club rather than a Rotary Club.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Governor "Hi" insisted I touch briefly on the Rotary Foundation which, today, is intimately associated with the Fourth Object of Rotary.

Fellow Rotarians! not since this country of ours adopted its first Constitutional Government in 1788, has our flag and our Army been so humbled and humiliated as today in Korea. We have allowed ourselves to believe we were ready to make battle with any Nation, but we see our troops routed by the carefully planned drive made by the Communist Army of Soviet Russia.

During recent years America has made heroic efforts to bring about permanent peace; to establish the United Nations organization, and we have erected a mighty temple costing untold millions, at no cost to other countries. We thought that by means of our progress with science and invention, and with the coming of the atom bomb, we would be safe from sudden attack. We allowed subversive elements to organize and teach Communism and disrespect to our flag right here among us, in our Labor Unions and Schools. It is humiliating to note that only a few days ago Washington officials publicly proclaimed "Russia does not want war now, and is not preparing to attack".

America is up against a terrific foe. As many of you know, in recent years I have been addressing groups on the subject of "Forestry", due to my love of trees and an appreciation of their value. In these lectures I always quote General Summerville, who, during the First and Second World Wars, was at the head of the Procurement Division of our Army. Among many other things he stated: "After the past few years experience in World War II, I am prepared to say that in the next World War, the nation with the largest available supply of timber will be the one that will win that war. In World War II six or seven billion feet of lumber were consumed before a shot was fired. Our Army in the Solomons carried a sawmill and manufactured lumber right on the ground.

Now Russia has four times the standing timber that we have, and a population of eight hundred million souls of their own and in the countries which they have enslaved, and of whom they can command service -- a country that has built an Iron Curtain around her entire domain, and no living person knows just what they have inside. It must be believed, however, that they are equipped with natural resources and with shops and factories, (mostly stolen) to build airplanes, tanks, and other war materials, possibly equal to our own. The character of Russia is well defined by this incident: The U.S. loaned them 126 ships during World War II. They have ignored every request made by our Government to return these ships, and probably never will.

This leads me to call attention to Rotary's great effort in making useful our Fourth Object which has been through the Rotary Foundation in providing funds for college or university students who desire to take an additional one-year course in another country. Over two hundred of such Fellowships have been granted. Rev. Thomas Ca8'hmore, Canon of Wakefield Cathedral, England, stood up before the Institute last month and said that in his opinion this Fellowship Program of Exchange students is the most constructive achievement of Rotary in its whole history. At our recent convention we were given the opportunity to observe and hear four young men enjoying the Fellowship privilege. They came from Brazil, Switzerland, Denmark, and England. Their brief remarks on the last day of the convention would have done credit to any great statesman. They praised our country and our educational facilities; they praised our homes and privileges for labor, and stated that upon their return home they would speak many times of the glories of our democracy.

Yes! Rotary has put its Fourth Object to work, and every man enjoying a Rotary membership should be willing to assist this great movement financially, if called upon, to the extent of $10.00. Japan has led all other nations in making it obligatory that every new member shall contribute $10.00 to the Rotary Foundation of R.I.

The establishment of the Rotary Foundation in 1917 was no fantastic dream but a practical one which took nearly twenty years before Rotary officials woke up and took the thing seriously by adopting the Fellowship Plan. As a result, during the past two years, approximately $2,750,000 has been contributed.

I leave you with the hope that the Club Presidents here will assist their District Governor in his work, and bend their efforts toward the building of the Rotary Foundation.

Fellows: Uncle Sam is worried; Stalin, Gromyko, Molotov, and Vishinsky are laughing at us. America just can't be defeated. For God's sake,

DON'T LET OLD UNCLE SAM DOWN. ( Shouted)

Thank you.

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