28 May, 1943 To Club Presidents and Secretaries 5,148 Rotary Clubs « 205,000 Rotarians The News Letter From the R. |. Secretariat (Central Office) 35 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, U. S. A. No. 19—1942-43 Legislation Adopted at St. Louis Here is a summary of the legisla- tion adopted at the convention in St. Louis. The complete text of all proposed legislation considered at St. Louis, together with the recom- mendations of the council on legis- lation and the action of the con- vention thereon, will be published in the convention proceedings book which is scheduled to be mailed around July first. In order to organize more than one Rotary club in a city, it is neces- sary to get a release of the territory from the existing club or clubs. En- actment 43-1 amended this provi- sion of the R.I. constitution to pro- vide that when a club releases such territory it may retain the right to admit from the territorial limits of the new club or clubs, members ~ whose business, executive duties, or professional activities are of a scope to include the entire city or muni- cipal area. The terms of reference of the fi- nance committee of R.I. were clari- fied by the adoption of enactment 43-4. To assure change of personnel on the committees of. R.I., enactment 43-5 amended the by-laws of R.I. limiting the term of service to two years on the same R.I. committee, except there be specific provision to the contrary in the by-laws or by convention action. Because world conditions prevent clubs from many parts of the world from being represented at the con- vention, resolution 43-6 suspended the convention attendance contest until such time as this suspension may be revoked by the R.I. board. Resolution 43-8 approved amend- ments to the constitution of RIBI changing the designation of senior membership to senior active mem- bership in accordance with similar action taken by R.I. at the Toronto convention last year. In resolution 43-12 the conven- tion provided for a continuation of the committee on participation of Rotarians in the post-war world for the duration of the present wars and for a period of at least two years thereafter. The magazine committee of RI. has been increased from five to six members by the adoption of resolu- tion 43-13 which adds to the com- mittee one director from the USCNB to serve for a term of one year. This legislation also directs the R.I. board to present to the next convention a proposed enactment to make the magazine committee a standing committee of R.I. The position of Rotary with ref- erence to a Rotarian’s relation to his country was redefined in resolu- tion 43-14 and the previous state- ment on this subject, adopted in res- olution 29-13 of the 1929 (Dallas) convention, was rescinded. Resolution 43-15 authorized the transfer of $100,000 from the surplus funds of R.I. to the Rotary Founda- tion. The terms of reference of the com- mittee on relief to Rotarians were revised in resolution 43-16 and the procedure for handling the moneys in the fund was simplified and made more specific as to the R.I. board’s final control on all expenditures. Brisbane Provides Cigarette Lighters Because the generally damp con- ditions in New Guinea made matches practically useless, the Rotary Club of Brisbane, Australia, started a campaign to collect cigarette light- ers for reconditioning and distribu- tion to the service men fighting in that territory. With the cooperation of other Rotary clubs in the district, some 200 lighters were collected, re- conditioned and distributed. The need was thus brought to the notice of government authorities and steps were initiated for supplying a much. greater quantity. President Carbajal Says If some of you have written me and haven't received an opportune reply to your letter, please do not attribute this to a lack of courtesy, which certainly I do not intend to show to my friends in Rotary for whom I have such deep af- fection. There are many reasons for thinking that a great number of letters, because of the war and resulting diffi- culties in handling the mail, has never reached me. Please accept my general apologies for any involuntary omissions which may thus have occurred. . Opportunities for New Members in Johannesburg When a new member joins the Rotary Club of Johannesburg, South Africa, he receives a brief summary of the work of the various commit- tees. This not only acquaints him with the fine work that the club is doing, but helps him discover the avenues of service into which he can best direct his own activities. The summary is impressive be- cause of the wealth of opportunities which it offers to the new members. To mention just a few: The Boys Work Committee takes an active interest in boys’ clubs and institu- tions; the Educational Facilities Commit- tee each year assists some 50 boys and girls in securing an education; the Com- munity Service Committee is interested in slum clearance and housing, the provi- sion of adequate hospital facilities, penal reform, and transport problems due to war conditions; the Service Committee arranges an average of 25 motion picture shows or concerts per month at hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the aged; an- other committee directs its endeavors toward the enlightenment and welfare of the non-European peoples of the com- munity; and the Rotary War Effort Com- mittee raises funds for the amelioration of distress caused by war. These are only a few of the avenues of service which are opened up to new members of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg. Small won- der that they quickly catch the spirit of Rotary and help make Johannes- burg the successful Rotary club that it is. Donald A. Adams, LL. D. The degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) was conferred upon Past President of R.I. Donald A. Adams of New Haven, Conn., by Yankton College, Yankton, S. Dak., at the 61st annual commencement convocation on May 24th. Don gave the commencement address. Our congratulations to him on this honor. Colonel E. W. Palmer Past R.I. director E. W. Palmer of Kingsport, Tennessee, has entered the United States Army as a Colonel in the Adjutant General’s Office. Prior to being commissioned, Ro- tarian Palmer was Deputy Director of the Printing and Publishing Divi- sion of the War Production Board of the United States.