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GUY GUNDAKER 1923-24

     I was defeated twice for the office of International President, first in 1915 at San Francisco (the actual election was held in Oakland, California) and, secondly, at Atlanta, Georgia in 1917. As the years passed I realized that these defeats were God's protection to Rotary. I was not sufficiently prepared to do a good job.

     In the year preceding Arch Klumph's administration, International President Allen D. Albert appointed me Chairman of the Committee on "Philosophy and Education." As part of my duties as Chairman I wrote "A Talking Knowledge of Rotary" which appeared in four numbers of the Rotarian (1921-22). In "Rotary's Onward March 1905-53," among the historical facts recorded under 1916, on page 7, it states:

   President Snedecor appointed me Chairman of the Publicity Committee and I gave my report at the Edinborough Convention in 1921. After the adjournment of the Convention the International officers went to London to the Great Central Hotel.

   The Rotary gathering in London brings to mind another event which I believe has not been made a matter of record anywhere except to say that it occurred. I refer to the visit made by Rotary officers to a reception in Buckingham Palace given by King George V and Queen Mary. King George had just returned from opening the Irish Parliament in Dublin and when he returned to London in the late evening, 11 o'clock precisely, he extended an invitation to nineteen Rotarians, consisting of incoming President Crawford McCullough and his Board, Ralph Cummings, William Coppack and H. J. Lutcher Stark. Past Presidents Glenn Meade, Bert Adams, Arch Klumph, Secretary Ches Perry, Treasurer Rufus Chapin, Sergeant at Arms George Harris, three Past Presidents of R.I.B.I. and some other International Committeemen.

   The time was set for 11 o'clock the next day and the participants were advised that owing to the brevity of time between the invitation and the reception, they could wear their regular business suits.

   The visit was very informal - the nineteen visitors stood in a line around the Blue Room and after they were welcomed by King George and the welcome was responded to by President Crawford McCullough, their Majesties chatted with each Rotarian individually. In the conversation which followed, a question was asked to Arch Klumph by King George. He inquired if he could become a member of Rotary. Arch answered, "Yes, your Majesty, I do not think there is anyone in all England who could have the same Rotary classification." As the King passed Rufe Chapin he inquired if it was his first visit to England. Rufe said it was. To make some conversation, King George asked if Rufe had seen the United States - Britain Polo match the previous day. The previous day the United States had won the game by the score of 7 to 2. Rufe, in his customary witty manner responded, "No your Majesty, I did not. You will recall that I said this was my first visit to England and I only wish to see England at its best." I am sorry I cannot quote more of King George's questions and answers concerning Rotary.

   Queen Mary's chats on her visits with the delegation were as interesting as the questions and answers above, but what passed between Her Majesty and the visitors should not be entered into this record.

   After the delightful meeting had been completed, King George and the Queen stepped back and King George expressed his and Queen Mary's pleasure at the presence of the Rotary group. He said that he was very glad to know more about Rotary and finished with these words - "I hope that Rotary International will spread to every part of our Empire."

   It is very important to keep King George's statement in mind when the adoption of the completely revised Constitution is presented at Los Angeles, one year later.

   The revision of the Constitution and Bylaws of Rotary was directed in a resolution of the Edinborough Convention. To prepare the revision a carefully selected group was chosen, known as the Committee of 31. It is worthwhile to note that there were five on the Committee of 31 who were present at the reception in Buckingham Palace tendered by King George V, who heard his final words to his visitors which ended the meeting. May I repeat - "The King said I hope Rotary International will spread to every part of my Empire."

   When Winnipeg, Canada, was admitted to the National Rotary Association at Duluth, the organization's name was changed to the International Association of Rotary Clubs. This title was so long that it was abbreviated to the I. A. of R. C.

   When the new Constitution of Rotary was adopted in Los Angeles in 1922, its name was changed again. This Time to "Rotary International." Some who were part of the visit to Buckingham Palace believe that Rotary got its present name from King George V - Who knows?

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   Following the Edinborough Convention, President Crawford McCullough at the Great Central Hotel was discussing the future of Rotary. He said "I am wondering whether Rotary may follow the way of some other great organizations which began in a blaze of glory - provided a great service to the world, increased in numbers and activities and then one day reached its peak from which it gradually declined in importance and ultimately petered out."

   "Since Rotary membership is composed of business and professional men it naturally follows that our continued existence will depend upon our program. "

   After some time of silence President Crawford said "If Rotary can develop a program which will encourage and foster high ethical standards in business and professions in national associations through a long continuing program which will take many years in its achievement, a program which would arouse and maintain the interest of many Rotarians, I believe we have the answer."

   Following these reflections by Crawford came my appointment as Chairman of Rotary's Committee on Business Methods and the Campaign for Codes of Standards of Correct Practice for national groups of business and professional men. I also served on Bert Scribner's Committee on Business Methods the following year.

   The St. Louis Convention was a wonderful affair with one of the principal addresses being made by United States President Warren G. Harding. President Harding said "If I could plant Rotary in every community throughout the world, I would do it, and then I would guarantee the tranquility and the forward march of the world.

   "The thing that the world needs today more than anything else is to understand that only service will bring about the restoration that is needed after the tumult of the World War, and if we can all get down to service - honest service, humble service, helpful service - and appreciate the things that humanity must do to insure recovery, then there will come out of the great despondency and discouragement and distress of the world a new order and some day when we acclaim it I fancy I shall see the emblem of Rotary in the foreground because you - of Rotary - representative of the best we have in America, have played your big part in making service one of the appraised offerings of human-kind worth while." On the day of President Harding's address there was no evening meeting of the Rotary Convention as the Convention Hall had been previously reserved for a St. Louis meeting in his honor.

   There was a Resolution presented to the Convention by the Board of Directors of Rotary International, and adopted, presenting the program for the year 1923-24. I had no knowledge of it prior to its presentation by Bill Manier, Chairman of the Resolutions Committee, but I was delighted with it as the program for my year. It read as follows:

   The resolution just quoted was the first time in Rotary's history that an International Convention designated and adopted a complete program for an incoming administration and the results of such a path breaking idea proved very satisfactory. It was also the first time that business methods "the cornerstone of Rotary," was made the program for an entire year.

   On June 15, 1923, I was nominated for President by Past International President Glenn C. Mead of Philadelphia and seconded by John Dolph of Washington, D.C., Alexander Wilkie of Edinborough, Scotland, and Charles H. Victor of San Francisco. On Friday, June 16, 1923, I was elected President, without opposition.

   Having been on the Business Methods Committee for two years, the Convention Resolution which ordered the program for my year - business methods - was very pleasing to me.

   As President I devoted my time to frequent visits to Rotary Headquarters and traveled to all parts of the United States and Canada for intercity meetings. My presentations to the intercity meetings were concentrated on the program adopted by Convention action, including Past President Crawford McCullough's famous "Campaign for Codes of Standards of Correct Business Practice."

   Briefly, Rotarians established many new national associations of their crafts and wrote scores of national codes to express the craft consciousness of right and wrong which was one of the direct purposes of the program.

   I made only two visits off the American continent. One to the British Isles and one to Cuba. The trip to Cuba was made as part of a western and midwestern visitation to Clubs. I left New Orleans and crossed the Gulf of Mexico to Havana in a severe tropical storm. It got so bad we were a day late in reaching our destination. During the trip all the passengers were herded most of the time in the social hall and not permitted to go to their rooms. I believe that "My Ann" and I were the only ones not seasick.

   Our overdue steamer was not expected until the following morning and so there was no one at the dock to meet us. Our taxi took us to a hotel which turned out to be the Rotary hotel. Later in the evening we went to see the new Havana-Biltmore Hotel. While we were enjoying the music, Enrique Berenguer, of Havana, phoned the Steamship Company inquiring the exact time when our boat would arrive and was told we were in. Enrique organized a group of the Havana Rotarians to visit all hotels inquiring if we were registered there. They found us on the Roof Garden of the Havana-Biltmore and we chatted until very late. As we were returning to the hotel at which we were registered, we were told to be at the railroad station at 6:30 A.M. to take the train to Matanzas. We went on the trip without breakfast but were given stalks of sugar cane to munch on till we arrived at the Conference City.

   Mario Nunez Mesa, Luis Machado and Enrique Berenguer were our hosts. Until "My Ann" and I left for Key West we were busy practically every hour of the day and night.

   Prior to 1924, a Past President of Rotary had always represented Rotary International at the R.I.B.I. Conference. Because of the importance of this year's program, I decided to attend the R.I.B.I. Conference myself provided they would arrange morning and evening intercity meetings prior to the Conference. I felt that it was the opportunity to present R.I.B.I. Rotarians with the St. Louis Convention's adopted program.

   R. I. B. I.. agreed and "My Ann" and I, accompanied by Past President and Mrs. Frank Mulholland, made the trip together. On Frank's trip with me he was to do the same thing as I did - to wit- attend additional intercity meetings and present Rotary's program. Frank and I separated when we reached Southampton and did not see one another until we reached Torquay" the Conference city.

   The 1923-24 program met a fine reception in R. I. B. I. and the first written code of Standards of Correct Practice in the British Isles was adopted by the British Institute of Motor Traders in 1924.

   The Toronto Convention assembled within a very short time after Frank and I returned to America.

   The Toronto Convention has been acclaimed the best Convention. of all time by many Rotarians who have attended Conventions. The entire city welcomed the delegates and visitors. Even the policemen on the street and the street conductors conversed with us as though we were old friends rather than Convention attendants. The friendly chats held with Toronto Rotarians made every visiting Rotarian and his family feel that they were welcome. The 337 members of the Toronto Rotary Club were on the job every minute under the Host Club General Committee Chairman, Sidney B. McMichael.

   The Convention program was extraordinarily good under the Chairmanship of Ralph W. Cummings, who had been 1st Vice President of I. A. of R. C. under Past International President Crawford McCullough. The talks during each session were by leaders of men from all parts of the world and completely covered all of the services stated in Rotary's objects. My last words before the Convention adjourned were:

   When the program was completed, Secretary Chesley Perry arose and said: "Mr. President, in accordance with the time honored custom, the Secretary has the privilege of moving that the 15th Annual Convention is now adjourned, sine die." My close friend, Norman Somerville of Toronto, the Sergeant of Arms, was given the privilege of seconding the motion.

   To which he added "As you take from us the sunshine that you brought us at the beginning of this week you will notice that even the shadows are lengthening."

Convention adjourned.

GUY GUNDAKER

The success of the year 1923-24 was not due to the President but was due to the official family- to wit - The Board of Directors, Secretary Chesley Perry and his Staff, The Committeemen, two of whom had previously been International Presidents (Raymond Havens and Crawford C. McCullough), and the District Governors.

As you glance over the following list you will have some idea of the men in my administration. All of the following became Presidents of Rotary International in the years between 1925 and 1947.

S. Kendrick Guernsey, Will R. Manier, Jr., Arthur H. Sapp, who were District Governors.

Harry Rodgers, Stanley W. Paschall, Donald A. Adams, Tom J. Davis, Committeemen.

Enough said.

All convention sessions were held at the exhibition grounds. A finer setting would be hard to describe.

The convention opened on Monday morning and some time during that day I received a wire from Jim Horn of Kenora. Now Jim Horn was the local superintendent of the C. P. R., and he had been President of the Rotary Club of Kenora for 1921-22, when I was District Governor. He gave me great support, and as a matter of fact, he held seventeen consecutive 100% meetings of his club during that year, and consequently earned the title of "100% Jim".

These three men happened to be Ken Reekie, Manager of the Canadian Bank of Commerce at Lethbridge, Alberta; Reg. McCaul, Manager of the Canadian Bank of Commerce at Swift Current, Sask; and Bill Radcliff, Manager of the Dominion Bank, Regina, Sask.

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